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Family of 4-Star LB Weigh UCLA, USC Decision

Talanoa Ili, four-star linebacker from Hawaii, has a crosstown decision to make, and his family is encouraging him all throughout.

Connor Moreno

Talanoa Ili
Talanoa Ili / Talanoa Ili, X (formerly Twitter)
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Hawaii's top recruit in the class of 2026, Talanoa Ili, has his eyes set on one of two schools, crosstown rivals UCLA and USC, and is set to make a decision on Sunday, June 15.

Ili's commitment would be just another feather in the Trojans' already top-rated class in the nation, and would be a massive step in DeShaun Foster and the Bruins' star-studded recruiting season.

His mother, Teuila, and father, Glen, took to X (formerly Twitter) to preview their son's commitment. Like any parents, they couldn't be more excited for wherever Ili decides to spend his college career.

"In a couple of years when these 2 programs are firing on all cylinders, everyone will know exactly why it came down to these 2 Colleges. Rose Bowl or Coliseum," Glenn Ili said.

"Both are amazing programs with great coaches," Teuila Ili said in a post quoting Glenn's. "This will be one of the most difficult decisions he will make, but I know 100% he will be well taken care of wherever he goes. Blessed that he is in this position and happy to be a part of this journey. Love you, son!"

Ili had official visits with Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame and BYU lined up through the rest of the month but has since cancelled those trips and will now make a decision between Los Angeles' crosstown rivals.

According to On3, the Trojans have a 93.3% chance to and Ili following his visit with Lincoln Riley. Ili has an On3 industry rating of 93.27, which is good for 97th in the nation.

In May, 247Sports' Greg Biggins evaluated Ili. Here's what he had to say about the highly-touted recruit:

"Ili recently made the move from Southern California to Hawaii and will play his senior year at Island powerhouse Kahuku. Was a three-year starter at Orange Lutheran, one of the state's top program and was arguably the best all around linebacker in the state, regardless of class, as a junior. Offers a ton of positional versatility and is capable of playing all three 'backer positions and in any type of defensive scheme. Physical enough and has the frame to play inside, athletic enough to cover and play in space and offers pass rush ability as well. A big hitter who loves contact, decisive making reads and can get downhill in a hurry. Fluid in coverage and looks comfortable checking tight ends and even running backs out of the backfield. Plays with suddenness and can explode through gaps and is always in attack mode. Still pretty lean but has the frame to easily add good weight and should play close to 240 pounds or so at the next level. With his all around skill set to go along with his toughness and compete level, Ili has a great chance to be a multi-year starter in college as well and an early impact player."

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Connor Moreno
CONNOR MORENO

Connor Moreno is an alumnus of Arizona State and New Mexico State. Before joining the On SI team, he covered the NBA's Phoenix Suns as a beat writer, and now he serves as our UCLA Bruins writer for SI.