Upcoming USC-UCLA decision looms for 4-star linebacker Talanoa Ili

It has been great seeing the recruiting surge by USC over the past months. From seeing the best local talents commit to the Trojans to top players around the country as a whole, the efforts of this coach, Lincoln Riley, and his staff have been commendable on the recruiting trail.

There is a player who remains an important target for the Trojans. Talanoa Ili, from Kahuku High School in the state of Hawai'i, is rated as a four-star and is a premier linebacker talent.

On3's Hayes Fawcett reported earlier on X that Ili would make his college announcement on June 15. The two schools that are left, remaining in contention, are USC and UCLA.

It would certainly be something of a difficult pill to swallow to watch Ili not end up in the Cardinal and Gold and instead play for that team across town. By all accounts, the Trojans are in a good position to add the commitment of the linebacker to this already highly rated recruiting class.

In either event, it is a continued encouraging sign to see the best prospects out West stick to the city of Los Angeles.

Top talent stating out West helps USC

For all of the deserved talk of the Trojan recruiting successes, the Bruins have stepped up in this department in their own right as well. While some argue that the rival school staying competitive should be seen as an overall positive, the fact that L.A. is returning to being a top recruiting destination hot spot in general does bode well for the future.

Ili will have a hard decision to make, with both programs and fan bases making their strong cases for him to join their university in 2026. While the Trojan faithful will, of course, hope to hear him announce USC as his final decision, either way, Ili will be staying out West. And that is a win either way.