USC Recruiting Target Participating in Under Armour Next Camp Tour

The Under Armour Next Camp tour is making a stop in Maui, Hawaii over the Fourth of July weekend. There will be numerous recruits putting their talent on display during this camp.

One in particular that the USC Trojans have their eyes on is class of 2028 recruit, linebacker Tauali’i Purcell.

Tauali’i Purcell Player Profile

usc trojans lincoln riley big ten recruiting hawaii class of 2028 recruit linebacker tauali'li rankings college football — Nov 29, 2021; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lincoln Riley (left) and Southern California Trojans athletic director Mike Bohn react during a press conference to introduce Riley as USC head coach. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Tauali’i Purcell is a 6-1, 190 pound linebacker out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 46 linebacker in the class of 2028 per Rivals. According to Greg Biggins of Rivals, USC is just one of a handful of prestigious programs that have already offered Purcell and will be seeing him at this camp.

"National programs like Oregon, Penn State, Texas, and USC all offered and were excited to see him up close this weekend," Biggins said.

Tauali’i Purcell is the younger brother of Taimane Purcell, a class of 2026 recruit that signed with the California Golden Bears. Taimane Purcell is a 6-4, 235 pound tight end that is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 13 tight end in the class of 2026 per 247Sports.

USC's Recruiting Trend

The USC Trojans are coming off landing the No 1 ranked 2026 recruiting class in the country. Their 2027 class looked to be tracking towards the top of the country, but has dropped off in recent weeks with some decommitments and other schools receiving commitments from elite recruits.

Rivals has USC's 2027 class currently ranked No. 12 in the country. This is fourth in the Big Ten behind the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Michigan Wolverines. USC has 14 total commits, with nine of them being rated as either a four of five star recruits. Their two top 2027 recruits are a pair of five stars: athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson and edge rusher Mekai Brown.

USC does not yet have a commit from the 2028 recruiting class.

Something that could bode well for USC when it comes to Purcell and other recruits from Hawaii is that the Trojans do have history of recruiting well from there. This includes one of their four star 2026 recruits, linebacker Talanoa Ili.

Ili is a 6-3, 225 pound linebacker out of Kahuku, Hawaii. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 7 linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 2 overall recruit in the state of Hawaii in his class.

2026 will be USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley's fifth season at the helm. Riley has an overall record of 35-18 with USC. It has not been enough to get the Trojans to their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.

USC will have a difficult Big Ten conference schedule this season, playing the three top teams in the league from last year: Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana. The Trojans will kick off the year at home against the San Jose State Spartans on Aug. 29.

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