Talanoa Ili is one of the prized recruits of the 2026 class for the USC Trojans. The 4-star, 6’4, 220-pound LB is highly sought after and the race may be coming down to three schools.
The Trojans are firmly in the mix and have ramped up their recruitment of him. Plus, many commits in the 2026 class have been publically pushing for Ili to join their class.
Ili recently took to social media and posted 3 photos from three visits, potentially indicating that he is down to three schools. Nothing has been announced, so this is all speculation, but it is safe to assume that two of the posts were from visits that just took place and went well. One of those included the USC Trojans.
USC Trojans In The Mix For Talanoa Ili
First, Ili posted a photo from a visit to Oklahoma with the caption “#BoomerSooner.”
#BoomerSooner ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/7DiZDA71Pp
— Talanoa Ili (@talanoaili) March 18, 2025
According to On3’s visit tracker, Ili has not been to Oklahoma since November last year. So posting about this school certainly seems like the Sooners made an impression and are near the top of the young linebackers list.
Next came the post for the USC Trojans, posted in the Coliseum with his family and the caption “#FightOn.
#FightOn✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/cAEr6Ljqhu
— Talanoa Ili (@talanoaili) March 18, 2025
Ili has visited USC five times, and most recently, on an unofficial visit on March 10th. He has an official visit scheduled with the Trojans on June 17th.
Also Read: USC Trojans Elite Commit Joins In On The Recruiting Effort
Finally, Ili posted a photo from a visit to Oregon with coach Dan Lanning and the caption “#ScoDucks.”
#ScoDucks🦆 pic.twitter.com/0nnk9znE4a
— Talanoa Ili (@talanoaili) March 18, 2025
He was just at Oregon on March 13th and has his official visit with the Ducks on June 22, his final scheduled official visit.
This could be nothing, or this could mean everything. It is certainly telling that he posted these three schools, and at this time.
Ili is the 4th-ranked LB in the 2026 class, according to On3 Industry Rankings. If he were to commit to USC, that would give the Trojans two Top-5 LBs as he would join Xavier Griffin.
He played high school ball at Orange Lutheran in Orange County last year, but just recently transferred to Hawaii for his Senior year at Kahuku.
The Trojans will continue to push hard in hopes of landing the talented Talanoa Ili.