LSU lands commitment from Notre Dame transfer DE recently granted 2026 eligibility
By Andrew Olson
Published:
LSU has made a late addition to its 2026 roster.
Junior Tuihalamaka’s agents told Pete Thamel of ESPN that the former Notre Dame defensive end will use his new eligibility playing for the Tigers. Tuihalamaka recently received eligibility via a court ruling in Louisiana.
NEWS: Notre Dame transfer defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka has committed to LSU, per his agent Noah Reisenfeld of 21 Sports & Entertainment. Tuihalamaka is eligible for a fifth year of college football from the state court ruling in Louisiana on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/ILB4hJ1trV
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 21, 2026
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Tuihalamaka gives LSU experienced depth on the defensive line. Over 4 seasons at Notre Dame, he played in 54 games, making 6 starts. He made 3 of those starts as a senior in 2025, finishing the year with 3.5 TFLs and 1 sack.
Over his college career, Tuihalamaka has logged 61 tackles, including 9 TFLs and 4 sacks. Tuihalamaka’s most productive year came in 2024, when he logged 33 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs and 3 sacks, all career bests.
It’s a quick turnaround for Tuihalamaka. Lane Kiffin‘s Bayou Bengals open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 in a highly anticipated showdown with the Clemson Tigers.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
