Just two days ago, Greg Biggins of 247 Sports put in a crystal ball prediction for the USC Trojans to land highly coveted linebacker prospect Talanoa Ili. A few hours after that, his colleague Blair Angulo gave the Trojans a nod as well.
Now, the On3 experts are jumping on board as both Steve Wiltfong and our friend Scott Schrader have put in recruiting predictions for Talanoa Ili to commit to the USC Trojans.
LB Talanoa Ili Lands More Predictions To Commit To USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley, Rob Ryan, and the entire Trojans staff have been putting in work on the recruitment of Ili, and it appears that it may be paying off. Nothing is set yet, and Ili still has plenty of official visits planned, but the momentum certainly seems to be on the Trojans’ side.
In speaking to On3 about USC, Ili said:
“What I’m most excited for is their new staff. My favorite things about USC is their rich tradition and Samoan history. USC made an impression on me and I believe they stack high up in my top.”
Ili is the 4th-ranked linebacker in the 2026 class, per On3 Industry Rankings, behind USC commit Xavier Griffin, who is ranked 2nd (ranked 1st according to 247 Sports). Giffin also has the ability to play EDGE if the Trojans decide to move him there or use his versatility in rotation.
As mentioned, Ili has a slew of visits coming up, so this is far from over. His current visit schedule is:
- May 10 – UCLA Bruins
- May 27 – BYU Cougars
- June 6 – Oklahoma Sooners
- June 10 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- June 13 – Texas Longhorns
- June 17 – USC Trojans
- June 22 – Oregon Ducks
However, LB coach Rob Ryan has had a huge impact in his recruitment, and the recent commitment of Tomuhini Topui is also playing a major role, as both players are very close.