Tiki Hola

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-2, 285 lbs. Taller than 14% and heavier than 60% of 2026 Defensive Line prospects in the SEC Scouts database (227 with a listed size).

Play Style

His production profile fits a high-motor, ball-hunting lineman who plays with range more than as a pure space-eater. That kind of tackle total at 300 pounds comes from shedding blocks and pursuing, not only occupying blockers. The 3 forced fumbles and 2 recoveries point to a player who attacks the ball once he gets there. His 3-4 end background suggests he has handled two-gapping and reading blocks. Notre Dame's plan to play him at nose indicates the staff trusts his anchor and ability to hold up against doubles. His pass-rush tools look less developed than his run defense, based on the hurry numbers.

Strengths

• Production far above normal for a down lineman: as a junior he had 102 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 QB hurries in 12 games. A 300-pounder with 100-plus tackles is chasing the ball sideline to sideline, not just holding blocks.
• Ready-made nose-guard body: at about 300 pounds he doesn't need a year of bulking before he can hold up against double teams, so his development can focus on technique.
• Versatility across the front: he lined up as a 3-4 end in high school and projects to nose in college, so he has experience at several alignments (0-, 1-, 3- and 4i-technique). Defensive coordinators value that for multiple fronts and short-yardage packages.
• Heavily recruited and vetted: Notre Dame defensive line coach Al Washington offered him in March 2024 and recruited him for over a year against SEC and Big Ten programs. Coaches around the commitment also praised his character and work habits.

Areas to Improve

• ACL recovery and getting his first-step burst back. A torn right ACL late in his senior year almost certainly means a redshirt in 2026. Rebuilding explosiveness and trust in the knee comes before any technical development.
• Pass rush from inside: 9 hurries is modest compared with his tackle numbers, and the sack production isn't prominent. He needs a real rush plan (a two-way go, club-rip, push-pull) and better hand timing to be more than a run-down player.
• Moving from reading and flowing at end to controlling gaps at nose: in college he'll take more double teams, so he needs to keep his pad level low, strike with his hands, and hold his gap instead of running to the ball.

College Projection

Expect a medical redshirt in 2026 while he rehabs the ACL, with any snaps late in the year as a bonus rather than the plan. Realistically he becomes a rotational nose or 1-technique in 2027 (redshirt freshman), mainly on early downs and in short yardage. He has a path to starting by 2028 if he gets his explosiveness back. With the extra year of eligibility he could be a multi-year starter through 2030.

NFL Outlook

He has a Day 2-3 NFL ceiling as a size-ready interior lineman who produced big numbers. NFL teams consistently draft tackles around 6-3/310 who can anchor and also collapse the pocket. The two factors that will decide his draft stock: (1) whether he gets his pre-injury burst back after the ACL, and (2) whether he develops enough interior pass rush to be a three-down player rather than an early-down run stuffer. A healthy, developed version projects as a mid-round pick. If the pass rush never comes, he projects as a late-round or priority-free-agent nose.

Best Fit

A multiple or odd-front defense that needs a nose who can two-gap and still pursue, which is Notre Dame's plan. His combination of anchor and range also fits a 4-3 1-technique in an attacking one-gap scheme. The best development setting is one like Notre Dame's: a strong strength-and-medical program for the ACL rehab, a defensive line coach who teaches hand technique, and enough depth that he isn't forced onto the field before he's ready.