Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Coveted Linebacker Schedules Visit To Ducks vs. Ohio State

The elite class of 2026 athlete Talanoa Ili from Orange Lutheran in Southern California has set up an unofficial visit to the Oregon Ducks. He will be at Autzen Stadium in Eugene for the most important game on the Oregon Ducks' Big Ten schedule against Ohio State on October 12th.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads the Ducks onto the field as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Elite four-star outside linebacker Talanoa Ili is among the West Coast's most coveted prospects in the Class of 2026. Talanoa Ili stands 6’3 and weighs 220 pounds while running a verified top speed of 20.2 miles per hour.

The Oregon Ducks have grabbed Ili's attention as he has planned an unofficial visit to campus on Oct. 12. That weekend when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to Eugene will be an important one as top recruits from across the nation will be checking out the high-octane environment.

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Teradja Mitchell (3) tackles Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye (26) during the third quarter in their NCAA Division I game on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Orange, California product has also scheduled three more upcoming unofficial visits along with Oregon.

UCLA - Sept. 28

Washington - Oct. 5

Oklahoma - Nov. 2

According to 247Sports, Ili is the 29th overall ranked player and the third best linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class. He's one of the most talented prospects in the loaded Trinity League in Southern California and can play sideline to sideline.

Long, athletic and still growing. Can rush off the edge, play in space and drop and cover. Twitchy kid who plays fast but under control. Productive and earned 1st team all-league honors after both freshman and sophomore seasons in the highly competitive Trinity League. Very active with non-stop motor. High football IQ, can quickly read, diagnose and go. Could grow in to an edge rusher down the road but has the athleticism to stay at linebacker and can play inside or outside. A complete, every down linebacker with a very high ceiling.

- Greg Biggins via 247Sports

This won't be Ili's first visit to Oregon's campus as he checked it out back in May and loved every second of the trip. He couldn't believe how green the campus was. Along with a scavenger hunt with other recruits, Ili got to build a lot of relationships with the coaches.

“Coach Kam (Araghi), the outside linebackers coach. I really go to talk to him a lot. He was really the one showing me around everywhere. And then Coach (Tony) Tuioti and Coach (Tosh) Lupoi. I really got to talk to them a lot more and we went over film and how they would use me and just building that relationship outside of football as well... They’re all for the players. They want to see the players win and they want to help the players accomplish what they want. They start from the players. It’s really special. That’s really special to me.”

- Talanoa Ili via ScoopDuck

According to MaxPreps, No. 17 Orange Lutheran (3-1 overall record) plays the toughest schedule in the nation so Ili is definitely battle-tested and ready for the high-level competition that the Big Ten has to offer. Orange Lutheran has already had matchups at No. 69 Serra in Gardena, California (win, 21-13), vs. No. 24 Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland (win, 15-13) and at No. 5 Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada (loss, 55-28). They still have matchups at No. 45 Sierra Canyon, vs No. 2 Saint John Bosco, vs. No. 23 Junipero Serra Catholic, vs No. 28 Santa Margarita, vs No. 49 Servite and at No. 1 Mater Dei.

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