USC rumored to win this one: Talanoa Hufanga

Tuipulotu was one of several hosts for Hufanga when he took his official visit to USC Nov. 17-19. There were reports he left the game early and didn't appear to have a good time at he USC vs UCLA game, but Hufanga dispelled that myth.

"It was awesome," said Hufanga about his USC official visit.. "I really felt at home at USC, I have my cousins down there and they have a lot of Poly players there. I didn't have just one host on my visit, I had multiple hosts. I swear I had the great time, it was just amazing being around all those guys and it was incredible to see everything USC has to offer. Even the atmosphere at the Coliseum when they played UCLA was amazing. Penei (Sewell) and I got up during the game and left where the recruits were sitting to get a better view of everything. We wanted to get the perspective of what the fans were seeing, what it would be like to be watching us play on the field. I had a great time and so did my family."

Hufanga describes the Trojans’ recruiting-approach as pressure-free, something he appreciates. It’s no different with Tuipulotu, who is advising his younger cousin without making the hard sell.

"He told me it was the best decision he ever made choosing USC, but he told me I need to make the best decision for me," said Hufanga. "That's the way I am, too. When he was committed to Washington, I told him I'll support him no matter where he goes to school. We will always support each other and our goal is to play together at the highest level."

......................................................................................

Aside from a handful of in-home visits this week, Hufanga’s recruiting process is about done. Now comes the deliberations ahead of his Dec. 28 announcement. He's kept an open mind throughout the process and he's not approaching his school decision lightly. His mindset is the choice he makes later this month will have a far greater impact on his life than the three to five years he'll play college football.

"It's time to focus on a big decision I'm going to make," Hufanga said. "And this decision doesn't just affect the next four years, it affects the next 40 years. This decision I make will lead to connections, it will help me become a person and prepare me to move on as an adult. I'm really looking forward to that."

Make no mistake, the Trojans have plenty working in their favor. Those advantages start with Hufanga’s relationship with LBs coach Johnny Nansen, which began shortly before the Trojans offered.

“He's great guy and my family really likes him a lot, too. USC is basically a Polynesian school,” Hufanga says. “He understands our culture and they can recruit that way. He's able to engage with us whether it's about football or not. You can talk to him about any situation. He came out here, talked to Marlon (Tuipulotu) and engaged his mind. That's exactly what he's doing with me and he's making a great impression."

USC being located in Los Angeles certainly doesn't hurt the Trojans' chances, either. Nor will the experience he had with the USC football players while on his official visit.

"I'm really a location kind of guy, I like the warm weather and I just think being around the USC players was the big thing," said Hufanga. "There's a lot of places you can go and guys don't really care about the recruits or you're just another kid, but USC wasn't like that. I had multiple players come up to me, whether they knew me or not, and took the time to ask me who I was, where I was from.and engaged in a little conversation. I liked the honesty they have, too."

If Hufanga does sign with the Trojans, it would be the culmination of a childhood dream. "USC and the San Diego Chargers were my two favorite teams when I was really young," said Hufanga. “So, USC was one of the first schools I ever knew of. So, it was kind of a dream-come-true offer."

Still, Hufanga knows that this decision goes beyond emotion. He has a strict criterion in place for his future school to meet.

"I call it the perfect fit," he said. "Did I enjoy it when I was down there? Do I really see myself playing on the field? Do I see myself being involved in the community and will I like the place if I wasn't playing football? If football were to end, would I still want to go to school there? That has to be a factor in my decision, because football may be perfect, but I may not like the school or the life I'm living there. I need to be sure I'll like every aspect."