Kansas Football Lands Coveted DL Prospect in Transfer Portal

Head coach Lance Leipold and the Kansas football coaching staff continue to make waves in the transfer portal this week as they look to shore up the holes in their roster for the 2026 season.

On Tuesday, the staff received a commitment from Tulane transfer Tre’Von McAlpine who should greatly help the Jayhawks’ defensive efforts this upcoming season.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman had 35 tackles, seven quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss, and one sack this past season. He started 12 of 14 games at nose tackle, helping lead the Green Wave to an American Athletic Conference (AAC) championship.

Part of Tulane’s success was due to their impressive run defense this past season and McAlpine played a key role in that success. The Green Wave ranked No. 29 in college football in rushing defense with an average of 122.6 yards allowed per game.

For his efforts, McAlpine was named Second Team All-AAC. He now comes to KU ranked as the No. 83 defensive lineman available in the transfer portal this offseason, per On3.com.

According to reports, he chose the Jayhawks over interest from Nebraska, Illinois, a few SEC programs such as Auburn and Texas A&M, and others.

Coming out of high school, McAlpine was ranked as a three-star prospect who committed to Texas Tech, which is where he spent the first three years of his college career.

He now has one year of eligibility remaining.

How he fits

McAlpine should be an instant plug-and-play starter for this Kansas defense next season.

The Jayhawks struggled against the run this season, ranking No. 95 in the country with 173.1 yards allowed on the ground per game. The team gave up 19 rushing touchdowns as well.

With the loss of three redshirt seniors (Tommy Dunn Jr., Kenean Caldwell, and D.J. Withers) along the defensive line, and the production McAlpine showed at Tulane this past season, the nose tackle spot should be his to lose.

McAlpine should pair well with the recent addition of defensive tackle Eamon Smalls who is transferring to KU after a productive season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Kansas staff also recently added David Santiago – a defensive end transfer from Michigan State.

It’s a position group that will have a lot of new faces this year, but it is one that the staff clearly believed needed reinforcements. Now, they may be a position of strength for a KU defense that needs to see a lot of improvement if the team hopes to have success next season.