USC Trojans To Land 4-Star Recruit Tiki Hola Over Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon?

Bastrop (TX) four-star defensive lineman Tiki Hola released his top five schools on Sunday, including the USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, SMU Mustangs and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Hola is the No. 277 overall prospect and No. 32 defensive lineman, per the On3 Industry Rankings.
The Longhorns have been considered the favorite with Hola playing his high school football under 40 miles from Austin, but with USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson as his primary recruiter, the Trojans will certainly be making a strong push to pull the blue-chip prospect out of the Lone Star State.
#AGTG “Wherever God leads me” 🚶🏽@9ine0Elite @JGriedl @jakelangi @CoachJayWilson @coachevans903 @CoachBullRush @CoachJMcCauley @CoachNua @CoachThibbs @CoachTuioti92 @CoachAlGolden @CoachWash56 @CoachK_Baker @AaronAmaama pic.twitter.com/AKpNG39KLR
— Lisiate Tiki Hola (@tiki_hola) January 13, 2025
Henderson was able to pull 2025 five-star Edna Karr (LA) defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart away from in-state LSU. He has also been busy in the transfer portal, landing Keeshawn Silver from Kentucky and Jamaal Jarrett from Georgia to help rebuild the Trojans defensive front. Henderson’s resume speaks for itself having coached three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald during his time with the Los Angeles Rams.
USC has been hot on the recruiting trail for the 2026 cycle, having landed a commitment from Painesville (OH) Harvey four-star running Shahn Alston during Saturday’s broadcast of the Navy All-American Bowl. The Trojans secured a verbal pledge over Penn State and Wisconsin. Alston is the No. 133 overall prospect and No. 13 running back in the On3 Industry Ranking.
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“I love the campus,” Alston said. “I love where it’s at. It’s so close to the city, but it’s not in the city. I feel like you can get involved in a lot of stuff there, whether it’s networking or things for your personal life. . . . Also, the tradition is great there. You can’t image USC without its tradition. They’re on the right path to getting back to it and I hope to be a puzzle piece in the end result.”
With the addition of Alston, the Trojans have a total of eight commitments for the 2026 cycle, including Gainesville (GA) linebacker Xavier Griffin, Rancho Cucamonga (CA) cornerback RJ Sermons, Loyola (CA) cornerback Brandon Lockhart, Mount Carmel (IL) defensive lineman Braedon Jones, Los Alamitos (CA) receiver Ja’Myron Baker, St. John Bosco (CA) athlete Joshua Holland and Sierra Canyon (CA) athlete Madden Riordan. They currently hold the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the On3 Industry Rankings.
The early signing period for the 2026 cycle is still a long way away, and in this era of college football anything can happen between now and the end of year. Still, the Trojans are putting together a recruiting class that can set the program up very well for the future.
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