The country’s best lock horns when it comes to securing the top-tier talent during recruitment time. Summer is not a time of relaxation for head coaches because June is when these battles reach their peak. Talanoa Ili, the No. 6 linebacker in the class and the No. 1 Hawaiian prospect, is choosing California as his CFB home. Ili, who once leaned heavily towards DeShaun Foster and UCLA, surprisingly swerved around and picked the Trojans over the Bruins as his home, instead.
Nobody’s doing college football recruiting better than USC. Chad Bowden is giving the Trojans a new life in the 2026 class, where USC sits right at the top. The Trojans currently have 29 commits, the newest of whom joined the group last Sunday. Ili was Lincoln Riley and Co.’s top target, but did not have much interest in the Trojans initially. At that time, Foster amped up his push for the LB and was very close to landing him at UCLA. These two schools ended up being the finalists for the 4-star LB. “I want to emphasize that being home is important. Things are changing, and college football is going to be in highlighted in L.A. like it was back in the day,” Ili told On3.
Now, the status quo has changed for Ili. The LB will begin his collegiate career as a Trojan, in his very own state. That grounding is the main reason why Ili picked USC over UCLA. His last official visit sealed the deal for him. “I just felt it as soon as I walked on campus. I felt it. I felt that Trojan spirit. You know, everybody talks about it. It’s just a feeling, and I felt it. I wanted to be back home playing in front of all my family and friends and, get this thing rolling,” he says in a June 15 video of WeAreSC. After this visit, he cancelled official visits to Notre Dame, BYU, Oklahoma, and Texas.
BREAKING: Four-Star LB Talanoa Ili has Committed to USC, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 6’4 225 LB from Laie, Hawaii chose the Trojans over UCLA
“Here to continue the legacy. All praise and glory to the Most High. Fight on! ”https://t.co/KwHZLznNZ5 pic.twitter.com/k7YB3VAyWB
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 15, 2025
The local connect was also instrumental in getting Talanoa Ili to commit to USC. “The Polynesian culture, the rich tradition, and especially my Samoan culture. That played a big part,” he said. And a major figure who helped the LB make his decision also shares the same roots. “It was Coach Dogg [Aaron Amaama]. Coach Dogg kept hitting me up, you know, building that relationship. And then from then on, I got out to the junior day, took a couple more visits, and then I’m home,” Ili added. Amaama is the Director of High School Relations at USC.
Talanoa Ili comes with a whopping total of 199 tackles (38 TFLs) and 8 sacks from his 3 years at Orange Lutheran in California. He also has MaxPreps All-American honors to his name and is bound to publish impressive numbers this year as well, at Kahuku. Ili’s commitment marks another example of Chad Bowden’s refreshing take on USC recruiting, a major reason why the Trojans sit at the top of the class.
Talanoa Ili is yet another success of Chad Bowden’s recruiting strategy at USC
Bowden’s very first idea for USC recruiting was to zero in on regional recruiting. That remains a priority even today. “We’re going to do everything through the city. We’re going to do everything through the state. That’s going to be our primary focus,” he told The Athletic when he was fresh into his new role at USC. 3 months later, Lincoln Riley’s 2026 class has 18 California commits, with Talanoa Ili being its latest addition. In fact, it was Bowden’s arrival that first swayed his interest towards the Trojans.
“Since Chad has come into the building, he’s really shifted the needle towards keeping California kids home,” Ili told ESPN. His recruiting push also involved Defensive Ends coach Shaun Nua and LB coach Rob Ryan making a trip to Hawaii. This visit helped build a deeper bond with the 4-star prospect. Bowden also told The Athletic that USC’s 2026 class is going to be the best group the school has seen in decades. Bowden’s arrival took a recruiting program that finished on the tail end of the top 20 group these past two years, to the best in 2026.
Bowden isn’t just focused on winning a national championship. He wants to go for the prize with a roster full of Californian talent. The GM is capable of putting together talent worthy of winning the coveted title–he helped Notre Dame come close to it last year. Bowden seems to be the answer that Lincoln Riley and USC needed all this time. Talanoa Ili’s commitment proves that Chad Bowden is locking in on California. His hold over the state is so good that even UCLA couldn’t hold on to this major prospect.
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