Notre Dame football’s 2026 class got larger on Saturday, as 2026 Texas defensive lineman Tiki Hola committed.
It was a big recruiting win for the Irish, as they beat out rivals USC along with SMU for the 6-foot, 2-inch and 285-pound pass rusher. Notre Dame’s class now stands with fifteen commitments, and ranks as the No. 2 overall class according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.
Social media was quick to react to the news, as the Irish continued an impressive hot streak in recruiting. Find out below the best reactions to Hola joining the Notre Dame 2026 class.
Some highlights of what to expect from Hola
Tiki Hola is another big win for Al Washington and Nick Sebastian in 2026.
Rodney Dunham, Ebenezer Ewetade and Hola form a strong foundation for the Irish front. All eyes are now on Alister Vallejo and Elijah Golden. pic.twitter.com/CV4HseAYIb
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreeman05_) May 10, 2025
Hola is a load upfront, as not only does he keep offensive lineman from getting to the second-level, he’s able to shed off blockers and make plays. He’s close to having a college-ready frame, and with some time with the Notre Dame Strength & Conditioning coaches, an impact could happen early.
Underrated at his position
Notre Dame has landed a commitment from 2026 DT Tiki Hola from the Austin area.
Notre Dame beat out SMU and others for the 285 pound interior defensive lineman.
Another good get for the Irish. Should be a really stout run defender along the inside with some pass rush upside. https://t.co/63gjdUFGn7
— Notre Dame Recruiting (@NDrecruiting01) May 10, 2025
Edge rushers get most of the publicity along the defensive line, as Hola isn’t ranked as high as some of his future teammates. That shouldn’t matter much once they all enroll, as he plays in one of the best states for high school, and should over-perform his current ranking.
The Polynesian pipeline continues
LET’S GO TIKI HOLA, CHEEHOO🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽☘️☘️☘️☘️ https://t.co/XGGY3wEnEO
— Taliuta Viliamu-Asa (@AsaTaliuta) May 10, 2025
Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliama-Asa’s mother was pretty excited to see another Polynesian player joining the Irish recruiting class. Notre Dame has had multiple players shine from that area, and HOla could be another on that list.
The Irish are hot
Tiki Hola (elite name btw) has committed to Notre Dame.
The Irish land their 3rd DL of the ‘26 class, joining edge rushers Rodney Dunham & Ebenezer Ewetade.
This also marks the 8th Irish commit since early April, and it doesn’t appear they are slowing down soon. #GoIrish ☘️ https://t.co/S9rDjpklaR
— Brenden Duffy (@brenden_duffy) May 10, 2025
While Notre Dame had a lull in commitments, behind the scenes they were putting in plenty of work. It’s been a great last few months for Irish recruiting, and that doesn’t look like it is going to stop anytime soon.
Hola’s community has his back
Big Congratulations to Bastrop High School’s very own Tiki Hola! 🏈🍀
We’re incredibly proud to announce that Tiki has officially committed to play football at the University of Notre Dame! Our community is cheering you on as you take your next step with the Fighting Irish! pic.twitter.com/ENio4YtBjm
— Bastrop ISD (@BastropISD) May 10, 2025
You love to see when your high school if fully behind one of their own’s decision, as you really can’t go wrong with picking Notre Dame. You get a fantastic mix of athletics and academics, and recently they have shown you can contended for championships as well. Congrats Tiki, welcome to the Irish family!
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame social media reacts to 2026 DL Tiki Hola committing