USC Trojans Favorites For Elite Linebacker Recruit Talanoa Ili Over UCLA Bruins?

The USC Trojans are one of two finalists who battling it out for one of the best uncommitted prospects in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili is deciding between the Trojans or the UCLA Bruins this upcoming Sunday.

Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the third quarter against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans are looking to make a big splash on the recruiting front after an eventful weekend where they hosted a handful of their top targets.

With some of the best recruiters in the country on staff, the Trojans are looking to close out a pair of recruitments down the stretch.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Steve Wiltfong of On3 said that USC is among the finalist for five-star Jett Washington. The Trojans are battling it out with Oregon and Alabama down the stretch.

"Oregon is doing a great job with Jett Washington. On each visit, he has felt at home in Eugene. Alabama is their biggest competition, and both schools are high on his list, but after the visit to Oregon, we give the edge to the Ducks. This visit may be his last before he makes his decision. USC is hanging around, but this is shaping up to be a battle between the Crimson Tide and the Ducks," Wiltfong said.

Washington is the No. 2 safety and No. 18 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings. He recently visited USC on June 3.

Although Wiltfong sees the Trojans as a darkhorse in Washington's recruitment, he has good news for the Trojans in four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili.

"UCLA and USC are the finalists for Talanoa Ili and he will commit on June 15. He is coming off his official visit to USC and the Trojans are going to be tough to beat," Wiltfong said.

The No. 3 linebacker and No. 1 player in the state of Hawaii according to 247Sports rankings, Ili is one of the best players in the country regardless of position. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 54 player in the class.

On3 has the Trojans as the favorite in Ili's recruitment as their Recruiting Prediction Machine has USC with a 95.2 percent chance of landing the highly regarded linebacker. Tom Loy of 247Sports has put in a crystal ball prediction in favor of the Trojans.

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Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

USC has two five-star commits in their 2026 recruiting class in tight end Mark Bowman and offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and is filled with talent offensively. Defensively, the Trojans' lost their top two commits in the class prior to the start of June. Five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin decommitted from the program in May and four-star cornerback RJ Sermons re-classified to the 2025 recruiting class.

If the Trojans' have a "weakness" in their recruiting class it would be linebacker,having only two linebackers committed. Four-star linebacker Shaun Scott is one of the best players in the state of California at his position and three-star linebacker Taylor Johnson isn't too far behind.

Currently, the Trojans' recruiting class sits alone at the top of 247Sports and On3's rankings. With 27 commits, the addition of Ili would not only be impactful, it could cement the class as one of the best in recent memory for the program.

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