Bruins Battling USC For 4-Star LB

The best 2026 recruit out of Hawaii and sixth-ranked linebacker in the nation, Talanoa Ili, told On3's Hayes Fawcett that he will decide between UCLA and USC when he announces his commitment on Sunday, June 15.

Ili had official visits with Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame and BYU lined up thorught the rest of the month but has since cancelled those trips and will now make a decision between Los Angeles' crosstown rivals.

According to On3, the Trojans have a 93.3% chance to and Ili following his visit with Lincoln Riley. Ili has an On3 industry rating of 93.27, which is good for 97th in the nation.

Ili visited with DeShaun Foster and the Bruins in May and is looking to continue an insane recruiting/commitment hot streak from the last week. Ili would be UCLA's highest-rated 2026 pledge and Foster's highest-rated recruit of his coaching tenure, just over a week after landing four-star offensive lineman Micah Smith.

In May, 247Sports' Greg Biggins evaluated Ili. Here's what he had to say about the highly-touted recruit:

"Ili recently made the move from Southern California to Hawaii and will play his senior year at Island powerhouse Kahuku. Was a three-year starter at Orange Lutheran, one of the state's top program and was arguably the best all around linebacker in the state, regardless of class, as a junior. Offers a ton of positional versatility and is capable of playing all three 'backer positions and in any type of defensive scheme. Physical enough and has the frame to play inside, athletic enough to cover and play in space and offers pass rush ability as well. A big hitter who loves contact, decisive making reads and can get downhill in a hurry. Fluid in coverage and looks comfortable checking tight ends and even running backs out of the backfield. Plays with suddenness and can explode through gaps and is always in attack mode. Still pretty lean but has the frame to easily add good weight and should play close to 240 pounds or so at the next level. With his all around skill set to go along with his toughness and compete level, Ili has a great chance to be a multi-year starter in college as well and an early impact player."