Recently, four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili cut his list schools down to two: USC and UCLA. He set his commitment date for Father’s Day. On Sunday, afternoon, the Trojans fittingly once again showed their crosstown rivals who is the father in Los Angeles, beating out the Bruins and landing Ili’s commitment.
“The pLAce to be!” Ili wrote on social media. “It’s official, Fight On”
Ili is from Kahuku, Hawaii. On3 Consensus ranks him as the No. 97 overall player and the No. 6 linebacker in the class of 2026.
USC’s 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 1 in the country, per On3’s rankings. The Trojans hold commitments from an incredible 19 four/five-star players in the 2026 cycle.
With Chad Bowden in the mix, the Trojans are finally recruiting the way that fans expected them to when Lincoln Riley was hired back in 2021. While USC fans are certainly frustrated that it took several years to get to this point, there is a lot to be excited about for the future of the program.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC beats out UCLA for four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
