2026 DL Tiki Hola Impressed with Notre Dame's Al Washington After Two Visits

2026 defensive line recruiting will be important for Notre Dame as Al Washington looks to stack impressive classes. 

One name to watch will be Bastrop (Texas) defensive lineman Tiki Hola‍, who made his first visit to Notre Dame in the fall for the Wake Forest game and then returned this spring to watch practice. 

Washington’s personal investment in the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder has allowed the Irish to establish themselves as a contender for the Texas native.

“They always want to build the relationship with me,” Hola stated. “I always stay in contact with Coach Washington and Coach (Nick) Sebastian. They rank pretty high on my list, too. They also want to build a relationship with me and get to know me overall.

The message is a simple one from Washington: Keep coming to campus. 

And it’s been effective, given Hola’s two trips to South Bend. 

“They try to get me out there more often,” explained Hola. “I know how far Texas is from Notre Dame and they want me to get there all the time.”

Texas is the closest school to Hola by a significant margin and he’s been a frequent visitor in Austin over the last year. 

Hola's most recent trips to Texas have been to get a better feel for new defensive line coach Kenny Baker, who replaced Bo Davis in January. 

“It was the second or third spring practice when I went down there,” stated Hola. “I got to talk to him and build more of a relationship with him because Bo was gone. I got to get to know everybody and not just the football side, but more of the personal side.”

Steve Sarkisian also has made an impression on Hola with his ability to communicate during his visits. 

“I love Coach Sark,” said Hola. “Every time I come down there, I’m always trying to look for him. He’s always excited to see me. That’s one thing I love about them. They all love to build love to build relationships and get to know you personally.” 

Hola also visited Oregon and Texas A&M this spring. 

Offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Georgia, Houston, Miami, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, USC, UTEP and UTSA 

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