The Irish have been chopping away the touted 2026 defensive lineman from Central Texas for years.
Washington and assistant DL coach Nick Sebastian have been paramount in Notre Dame’s surge.
“Coach Sebastian and Coach Washington have been recruiting me for the last few years,” the four-star DL said. “They’ve always made me feel like it’s home. I’m really comfortable there and in that environment. The fan base and the teammates over there made me feel welcomed and they made me feel valuable.”
The Mustangs were “neck and neck” with the Irish leading into Saturday’s reveal. Hola officially visited the Hilltop last weekend.
He will return to South Bend for a third time this year on June 13 for his official visit — after soaking up the Irish’s star-studded junior day in February and the spring game last month.
In that span, Hola happened upon his decision.
“Outside of football, Coach Freeman and Coach Washington are two great people,” he detailed. “Being coached by them would be a great opportunity — to expend my opportunities in football and the doors that God has opened for me outside of football.
Notre Dame’s run of blue-chip commitments continued on Saturday.
Four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola committed to the Irish over SMU — a colossal victory for Marcus Freeman and Al Washington on the recruiting trail scooping up another big-time piece to their star-studded 2026 recruiting class.
“Up to these last two visits, I had no idea. Both teams had been talking to me for a while and I knew was valuable to them,” Hola started. “Notre Dame has done a great job recruiting me. Coach Freeman and what they’re doing with the program … they’re doing a really good job.”
