ESPN 300 linebacker Ili chooses USC over UCLA

Four-star extracurricular linebacker Talanoa Ili, No. 53 successful the 2026 ESPN 300, has committed to USC implicit UCLA, helium told ESPN connected Sunday, landing arsenic the latest high-profile summation successful the Trojans' class.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound defender from Orange, California, Ili is the nation's No. 7 extracurricular linebacker imaginable successful the 2026 cycle. His committedness follows authoritative visits to some USC and UCLA this outpouring and comes aft Ili's determination to scrap scheduled trips to BYU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Texas this period anterior to sealing his pledge to the Trojans connected Sunday.

Ili told ESPN that the NFL acquisition of first-year USC linebackers manager Rob Ryan and the program's recruiting displacement since the late-January accomplishment of wide manager Chad Bowden were cardinal factors successful swaying his pledge to manager Lincoln Riley and the Trojans' top-ranked 2026 class.

"Since Chad has travel into the building, he's truly shifted the needle towards keeping California kids home," Ili said. "That's what truly excited maine due to the fact that I feel, successful my opinion, that California shot is the champion shot successful the nation. So wherefore not support it successful L.A.?"

Ili's determination marks the 29th wide committedness and 15th ESPN 300 summation successful a USC recruiting people that reaches mid-June astatine No. 1 ESPN's squad recruiting rankings for the 2026 cycle.

That people includes 7 apical 100 commitments and 18 prospects from wrong the authorities of California. With Ili's pledge, the Trojans present clasp 7 apical 100 commitments successful 2026, headlined by five-stars Elbert Hill (No. 15 overall) and Keenyi Pepe (No. 17). Ili joins four-star enlistee Shaun Scott (No. 164) and three-star Taylor Johnson -- some from the authorities of California -- arsenic the apical imaginable successful a talented linebacker people bound for USC successful 2026.

Ili was a three-year starter astatine Orange Lutheran (California) High School earlier transferring to Hawaii's Kahuku High School, wherever he'll implicit his elder play this fall. Ili tallied 78 tackles (eight for loss) successful his inferior run astatine Orange Lutheran successful 2024.

With Ili disconnected the board, 7 of ESPN's apical 10 extracurricular linebacker prospects stay uncommitted successful the 2026 class. No. 1 wide extracurricular linebacker Tyler Atkinson (No. 13 overall) traveled to Georgia for an authoritative sojourn this play pursuing caller trips to Clemson and Oregon. Four-star recruits Anthony Jones (No. 25), Xavier Griffin (No. 28) and D.Q. Forkpa (No. 40) basal among the apical extracurricular linebackers taking unfastened recruitments into the summertime months.