USC impresses Bosco standouts

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USC coaches hosted an impressive group of young prospects from Bellflower, Calif. St. John Bosco HS on Monday. TrojanSports.com caught up with four of these targets for the latest on what's happening between them and USC.

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If Ralen Goforth's last name sounds familiar it should. He's the younger brother of former UCLA Bruin Randall Goforth.

So despite his visit to USC, the first thing to address is whether or not he's completely set on playing across town for USC's biggest Pac-12 rival.

"Not really," Goforth said when asked if his brother's history with UCLA will influence him. "My older brother playing for UCLA, that was more what fit him at that time. And he made that decision to go there and UCLA was the best decision and fit for him. Is UCLA the best fit for me? I do not know. That's something to think about far ahead. But UCLA will always definitely be one of my top. I grew around that environment, I've known the environment and I love UCLA. I love what they do. The tradition, the fan base, I love it all. So UCLA will always be one of the top. And whatever is on course for me in the future, I do not know."

In fact, Goforth says he would be strongly consider USC if the Trojans targeted him.

"A USC offer would mean a lot to me," Goforth said. "Me and my family were always USC fans until my older brother went to UCLA. We were USC fans and a USC family growing up. So to get a USC offer would mean a lot to me. It's such a prestigious university. A lot of past legends have come to that university. It would be definitely be one close to heart."

The 6-foot-2 and 215-pounder also believes USC's coaches might be close to offering a scholarship.

"Me and Coach Johnny Nansen, we've been talking a lot and I feel like he's very close to pulling the trigger and making it happen," Goforth said. "When it may come, I do not know but I feel that it may be coming real soon. So if it does happen, I'll be grateful and very thankful."

If USC does offer a scholarship, it likely won't be to play in the defensive backfield. While he's listed as a safety by Rivals.com, USC sees him playing a different position.

"We've had safety conversations but I feel like they would talk to me more, using me as an outside backer type," Goforth said. "That's what we've been talking about. They know I can play the safety position but they feel outside linebacker would be best for me."

The conversations between him and Nansen have actually been quite extensive. That's why Goforth has been to USC before his most recent visit. He seems to be considering USC as a real option. In turn, Nansen has visited St. John Bosco to seriously evaluate Goforth's potential

It seems like it all might end in an eventual scholarship offer. It could happen this weekend.

"They've been heavily talking to me and keeping me up to date on what's going on," Goforth said. "They've invited me to their camp on Sunday being held, the Rising Stars Camp. So I'll be attending that camp. They've been talking to me a lot and I got to meet the coaching staff again today."

Outside of his plans to camp at USC, Goforth might also camp for the Washington Huskies.

"Washington they've been talking to me a lot," Goforth said. "I met Coach (Bob) Gregory from Washington at the Azuza Pacific Univeristy Camp. Me and him had a good talk. He wants me to come up there to Washington and meet the coaching staff. I'm thinking about camping with them, I think it's this Thursday. They have a camp coming up and I may attend that along with the USC camp coming up on Sunday."

While Goforth is still working to add USC and Washington to his impressive list of scholarship offers, he's also working towards a commitment. He says he might make a decision at any moment.

"The decision may come next week, it may come my junior year going into the summer," Goforth said. "I don't know when I'll make this decision to be honest."

As USC scrambles to take tailbacks in the 2018 class, a local 2019 target has emerged as a potential option down the line.

That prospect would be George Holani. Holani has already collected a few power five offers and while he's listed as an athlete by Rivals.com, he says he's being recruited as a tailback.

Holani visited USC with his St. John Bosco teammates on Monday and it wasn't his first time at the school. In fact, he says been on campus "multiple times now." He even has some family history with USC.

"USC was a good school," Holani said. "I liked it a lot. I have family who went over there and I like their tradition. I like a lot of things about it."

The 5-foot-11 and 190-pounder hopes to make an impression on the USC staff at this weekend's Rising Stars Camp.

"They haven't recruited me yet but this Sunday, I'm going to come out to the camp," Holani said. "I was talking to some of the coaches and they were just telling me, come to the camp that's coming up."

Holani says he would be excited if he received a scholarship offer from the Trojans.

"It would be nice to get an offer from USC," Holani said. "But I'm just keeping an eye open on different schools. I like USC too, USC is a good school. There's a lot of competition over there and it would be nice to go compete over there. And it's closer to home and my family. I know a lot of people over there so it would be nice."

Outside of his visit to USC, Holani is considering three other Pac-12 trips in the summer.

"Probably Arizona State and Utah and probably UCLA," Holani said.

When asked about a potential commitment, Holani says he's in no rush to make one.

"I'm taking my time right now before I pick a school," Holani said.

Four-star defensive end Sua'ava Poti has visited USC before but he received his first in-depth look USC on Monday.

"This was my second time visiting but the first time was a spring practice so it was kind of fast," Poti said. "We went out to watch the practice and kind of got to go in the meeting and stuff. This time was definitely a lot more personal and stuff so it was good."

His biggest takeaway? He came away with a strong impression of the coaching staff.

"It was obviously one of those schools I grew up watching, a hometown school," Poti said. "It was probably the personal level, the coaches were cool. They told me pretty much where I would play when I was there. And I went over film with the defensive line coaches just going over what they preach. Pretty much, the defensive line over there is all run stop and then from there, we get to make plays from the pass rush. It was good, I got to connect to the coaches and stuff and I really liked it."

After speaking with the coaches on Monday, Poti says he expects USC to recruit him as a defensive end that plays as a down lineman. And he also expects USC to recruit him going forward.

"For the past couple months, I've been talking to Coach (Johnny) Nansen," Poti said. "He's been coming over to Bosco, recording some of the players. And I've talked to him over there. So definitely. He was just telling me how the recruiting process over there is a lot different. When they give scholarships, it's a four year plan. Most universities, they offer year to year depending on how you do and stuff. But over there, it's four years. He was just saying it's a special offer over there and to be patient and wait it out."

So what would it mean if USC did offer him a scholarship?

"It would mean a lot," Poti said of a potential scholarship offer from USC. "Most of the visits I went on were great, I got to see the facilities and whatnot. But at USC, I feel like I got to connect more to the coaches. I also feel like I could see myself at USC, opportunities wise, on and off the field. It would be a big offer too, definitely one of my decisions out of the schools I have right now. It would mean a lot."

The 6-foot-3 and 260-pounder confirms that he'll camp at USC this weekend to fight for that scholarship offer. In fact, he doesn't have many other plans this summer.

"Right now, USC is the only camp I'm going to," Poti said.

Just don't expect him to pull the trigger and commit anytime soon, even if he does get that USC offer.

"I'll probably be making my decision before senior year, so probably the summer going into my senior year," Poti said when asked about a decision. "So I'm just going to talk it over with my parents and make sure I make the best decision for myself."

Marist Talavou is already emerging as a top offensive linemen on the West Coast. The 6-foot-3 and 315-pounder is also emerging as a potential target for USC.

The Trojans hosted Talavou on campus on Monday.

"Visiting USC was my first time actually," Talavou said.

And his first time left a big impression.

"When I visited USC, it was great," Talavou said. "It was really nice, I really loved the facilities, the weight room, just everything about it. It was great."

Besides a tour, he also got the pitch about USC's ability to produce professional football players.

"USC is pretty cool because so many players from there have been drafted to the NFL," Talavou said.

But despite his high ranking and impressive list of scholarship offers, Talavou says USC hasn't been recruiting him much yet. He also says this visit was more of an introduction to the Trojan coaching staff

"It was just a lot of nice to meet you and everything like that," Talavou said. "And the coaches were really nice."

He also hopes to introduce USC to his violent playing style very soon.

"I will be attending the Rising Stars Camp this Sunday," Talavou said.

If Talavou does receive a scholarship offer from USC, he would be very happy. But he's trying to keep a cool head when it comes to his college future.

"It would be great to get an offer because it's another option of where to go," Talavou said. "And it's another great education."

Right now, he says he interested in every school and doesn't have favorites.

"I'm not really focused on picking a school," Talavou said. "I'm just open to any college."

As for future visits, he only plans to camp at UCLA and USC this summer.