Fight on
On Saturday, 4-Star defensive lineman Tiki Hola gave his public commitment to Notre Dame and its 2026 football recruiting class.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL Tiki Hola has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’3 290 DL from Bastrop, TX chose the Fighting Irish over SMU & USC
“They say choose hard, but I chose God.”https://t.co/dIDFar0zwj pic.twitter.com/2CWtzWeZE6
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 10, 2025
The 6’3” 285 pounder from Bastrop High School in Bastrop, Texas, chose the Irish over his other two finalists — the USC Trojans and the SMU Mustangs. He also held a lot of other big time offers from programs all over the country like; Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, and more.
I see Hola as a nose tackle and think he has the potential to develop into a stud against the run. I love his punch and his motor. At 285 with his arm length, I see no issues with him getting to 300+ at Notre Dame and carry that well.
I don’t know if he’ll ever become a high impact pass rusher, but his motor and the violence he plays should translate very well. I see a lot of similarities to former Notre Dame DT Kurt Hinish, a multi-year starter and culture-setter for the Irish. Hola can be a bigger version of Hinish, but he’ll play with the same mentality.
Hola is the 15th commitment in Notre Dame’s 2026 class, and the second one in the row from the state of Texas. According to the 247 Team Composite Rankings, the Irish still have the #2 class in the country.
Notre Dame may not have a bunch of 5-Star DT’s on the roster, but they have a healthy handful of guys that will go to war on every snap and will help the team win a lot of football games. As far as the numbers go, we should expect at least one more defensive tackle in this class — but it might easily be two.
I love the Hinish comparison, and considering that Donovan will only have one more year left when Hola gets on campus, it’s nice to see an unofficial Hinish on deck.