Oregon Ducks To Land 4-Star Linebacker Talanoa Ili Over USC Trojans?

The Oregon Ducks have built a true recruiting pipeline to the state of Hawaii in recent years, reeling in some of the state's best players. Now, Oregon coach Dan Lanning has his sights set on another one of Hawaii's top prospects, four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili. Recently named as the state's top prospect, Ili transferred from Orange Lutheran (CA) to Kahuku (HI) for his senior year of high school.

In the 2025 recruiting cycle, Oregon signed five-star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and in back-to-back cycles in 2022 and '23, the Ducks signed four-star offensive linemen in Kawika Rogers and Iapani Laloulu.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning eyes the scoreboard late in the second half as the No. 12 Oregon Ducks host the No. 10 Utah Utes in Oregon s final home game of the season at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ncaa Football Oregon Utah Football Utah At Oregon | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ili spoke with On3 about where the Ducks stand in his recruitment. Oregon is currently battling it out with the USC Trojans and Oklahoma Sooners for the No. 4 linebacker and No. 78 recruit in the class according to On3.

“Oregon is one of my top schools because of the relationship we’ve built since my freshman year, and the direction they are heading," Ili said.

Ili has been to Oregon numerous amounts of time and learned something new about the program's vision for him each time.

“I’ve been to Oregon four times now and what I got out of this recent visit was being able to see practice and how I would fit there," Ili said.

This summer, Ili will take official visits to UCLA, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, and Oregon. In a previous interview with On3, Ili talked about the importance of each visit he is making.

“They (the visits) will be big for me so I can compare and see where I best fit when it’s all said and done. I’m looking for the things that make each of them different and if I can see myself there," Ili said.

Ili will be visiting Oregon on June 20, which is currently his last scheduled official visit.

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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks toward the scoreboard during a timeout in the second half as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks take on the No. 21 Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. Ncaa Football Uo Vs Osu Rivalry Game University Of Oregon At Oregon State | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote that Ili's mental makeup makes him one of the best linebackers in the class.

"Can rush off the edge, play in space and drop and cover. Twitchy kid who plays fast but under control. Very active with non-stop motor. High football IQ, can quickly read, diagnose and go. Could grow in to an edge rusher down the road but has the athleticism to stay at linebacker and can play inside or outside. A complete, every down linebacker with a very high ceiling," Biggins said.

The Ducks have some depth at the linebacker position for the immediate future, but signing Ili would go a long way to securing stability at the position for Lanning and his coaching staff. In the 2025 recruiting cycle, Lanning and the Ducks signed four-star linebackers Nasir Wyatt and Gavin Nix. In 2026, the Ducks are pursuing Ili with four-star linebacker Tristan Phillips already in tow.

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