Talanoa Ili credits USC commitment to coach Amaama and Trojan brotherhood

There are always multiple reasons as to why someone will commit to a school. At USC, a lot of the success will be attributed to coach Lincoln Riley and GM Chad Bowden, and rightly so. There are also a lot of moving parts and others within the Trojan program who deserve credit for the uptick that fans are seeing that has resulted in the top classes for 2026 and 2027. 

Talanoa Ili made his announcement on Father's Day. The linebacker will be joining the USC brotherhood. He discussed, after making his decision public, what ultimately led to him picking the Trojans, as shared on X by WeAreSC's Scott Schrader.

For Ili, the connection and close-knittedness of the staff and players is a large part of what drew him to USC. He also mentioned the Polynesian and Samoan roots as playing a factor in his choosing the Trojans over the Bruins.

In terms of someone who is increasingly being recognized for his efforts, coach Aaron Amaama, or more commonly referred to as Coach Dogg, made it a point to reach out and stay in consistent communication with Ili. The latest commit mentioned how coach Amaama laid the foundation and kept Ili's interest in the program at a high level, which was then furthered through the campus visits.

He will now be in a linebacking room that is led by coach Rob Ryan. Ili is excited to play for the Super Bowl-winning mentor and to be one of the next players in line that is discussed as someone who has done well and achieved great heights as an LB under coach Ryan.

High goals for latest USC commit

Ili will know as well as anyone that this is only the beginning for him and his journey at the collegiate level. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order for USC to be in a position to win a national title again. 

His trust in those who have also pledged themselves to the Trojans and those he has already built a relationship with is a large reason why he is coming to Los Angeles in the Cardinal and Gold. Ili hopes to be part of the corps that brings USC back among the annual contenders in college football.