ESPN 300 linebacker Ili chooses USC over UCLA

Four-star outside linebacker Talanoa Ili, No. 53 in the 2026 ESPN 300, has committed to USC over UCLA, he told ESPN on Sunday, landing as the latest high-profile addition in the Trojans' class.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound defender from Orange, California, Ili is the nation's No. 7 outside linebacker prospect in the 2026 cycle. His commitment follows official visits to both USC and UCLA this spring and comes after Ili's decision to scrap scheduled trips to BYU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Texas this month prior to sealing his pledge to the Trojans on Sunday.

Ili told ESPN that the NFL experience of first-year USC linebackers coach Rob Ryan and the program's recruiting shift since the late-January arrival of general manager Chad Bowden were key factors in swaying his pledge to coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans' top-ranked 2026 class.

"Since Chad has come into the building, he's really shifted the needle towards keeping California kids home," Ili said. "That's what really excited me because I feel, in my opinion, that California football is the best football in the nation. So why not keep it in L.A.?"

Ili's move marks the 29th overall commitment and 15th ESPN 300 addition in a USC recruiting class that reaches mid-June at No. 1 ESPN's team recruiting rankings for the 2026 cycle.

That class includes seven top 100 commitments and 18 prospects from within the state of California. With Ili's pledge, the Trojans now hold seven top 100 commitments in 2026, headlined by five-stars Elbert Hill (No. 15 overall) and Keenyi Pepe (No. 17). Ili joins four-star recruit Shaun Scott (No. 164) and three-star Taylor Johnson -- both from the state of California -- as the top prospect in a talented linebacker class bound for USC in 2026.

Ili was a three-year starter at Orange Lutheran (California) High School before transferring to Hawaii's Kahuku High School, where he'll complete his senior season this fall. Ili tallied 78 tackles (eight for loss) in his junior campaign at Orange Lutheran in 2024.

With Ili off the board, seven of ESPN's top 10 outside linebacker prospects remain uncommitted in the 2026 class. No. 1 overall outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson (No. 13 overall) traveled to Georgia for an official visit this weekend following recent trips to Clemson and Oregon. Four-star recruits Anthony Jones (No. 25), Xavier Griffin (No. 28) and D.Q. Forkpa (No. 40) stand among the top outside linebackers taking open recruitments into the summer months.