What Stands Out to 4-Star Recruit Tiki Hola About Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman

The Oregon Ducks currently have the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026, but they are chasing after a fifth prospect in four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns, and USC Trojans are also finalists for Hola.

Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on the Big Ten Network stage during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks have been keeping up their recruiting efforts for the class of 2026 after reeling in a top five recruiting class in 2025. The Ducks have been in the hunt for one of the nation's top 2026 defensive lineman after signing only two edge rushers in their 2025 class.

Oregon continues to stay in the mix for Bastrop High School four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola. Despite Texas sitting as the favorites for the Texas native according to On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine, Oregon continues to push for the highly-regarded prospect.

Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti leads practice with the Ducks Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. Sports Spring Football / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Hola spoke with On3 about how active the Ducks have been in his recruitment and how often he has been in contact with the staff.

“Coach Tony Tuioti and coach Darrion Daniels have done a really good job of staying in touch," Hola said.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has been preaching about building culture and brotherhood since he arrived in Eugene three years ago. One of the first things Hola noticed about the Ducks was the budding culture Lanning has been establishing.

“The thing that stood out to me about Oregon is that they’re a very complex team,” Hola said to On3. “All of them were very tied to each other. They were all friends and brothers. The culture there was great. Another thing that stood out to me was that they were very disciplined. They knew how to communicate well."

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Hola spoke about what is important to him in his recruitment and how the relationships he builds during his recruitment will be a vital part in his decision.

“I look at relationships. That’s always what I’ve looked at since my freshman year, since I started my recruiting process. Not only does my relationship with the position coach, who is going to be my coach throughout my four years, matter, but also having a relationship with the head coach is big for me," Hola said.

Lanning and his coaching staff have built a postive reputation and are known as player-friendly coaches. However, Hola has also visited the USC Trojans multiple times, raving about his trips to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Additionally, Hola spoke about his relationship with Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during a timeout in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

“Coach Marcus Freeman, coach Al Golden… and coach Al Washington, they’ve all done a really good job of keeping in touch with me, especially as they’re going on this national championship run," Hola said to On3.

Hola plans to make his commitment during the summer in July, prior to his senior season.

Glancing at their current No. 1 recruiting class in 2026, the Ducks have four defensive lineman committed. If Lanning and staff were to land Hola, it would bring a massive boost to an already strong class for the position group.

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