Four-star defensive lineman commits to USC

It would have made sense if Viliami Moala, a four-star defensive lineman, chose to play for either the Utah Utes or BYU Cougars. Both have strong college football programs and both would have allowed the Salt Lake City, Utah, native to stay close to home.

UCLA, Oregon, Miami and Tennessee were also among Moala's top choices, and each of those programs certainly has plenty to draw in a top recruit.

Ultimately, though, it was the USC Trojans that won over the 6-foot-5, 305-pound high school junior. He announced his commitment on X:

Moala recently visited USC for the Trojans' game against Utah State, a 48-0 win. It sounds like that visit played a role in his decision to commit.

"I really enjoyed my time at the Coliseum and it was great out there, for sure. One thing that stood out to me the most was just the love from everybody. They treated me like I'm already a Trojan," Moala told Balir Angulo of 247Sports . "They want me there and you can tell that by how they interacted with us. It was the first USC game that I've been to and I was really impressed with everyone, with how they talked to us and how they treated my family."

USC defensive line coach Shaun Nua, Moala's primary recruiter, also helped secure the recruiting win for the Trojans. In fact, Moala said that Nua was "a big reason" why he committed.

"He's a great coach and a great teacher, but he also cares about his players off the field and that means a lot to me," Moala said. "The defensive line is playing great and I know that he's a coach that would get the best out of me."

Ultimately, the Trojans are getting an exciting prospect. According to the 247Sports Composite, he's the No. 37 ranked defensive lineman in the 2026 class.