2017 QB Tagovailoa opening eyes

Tua Tagovailoa saw fellow Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis product Marcus Mariota win the Heisman Trophy over the weekend and, if his recruitment is any indication, could be headed down a similar path.

Last week, the Class of 2017 quarterback landed his fifth scholarship offer from USC and also drew a visit from Oregon. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound lefty holds additional offers from Colorado, Hawaii, Texas Tech and UCLA, and figures to continue generation buzz this upcoming offseason as college coaches scour for the next Mariota.

"It's really a blessing," Tagovailoa said. "Opportunities like these rarely come for guys in Hawaii. This is the first time this has happened in my family, so it's really a blessing for us."

Arizona could be close to joining the chase, too, Tagovailoa said. And, for now, all the schools stand on equal ground with the fast-rising prospect. Tagovailoa said he has never left the islands to check out campuses or see what's out there, but he intends to make it to some camps next year.

The Trojans were the latest to offer last week, with assistant coach Johnny Nansen, who recruited Mariota while at Washington, leading the recruitment.

"Coach Nansen and I have been in contact," Tagovailoa said. "Their program is very good and I've talked with him about how USC has been my dream school since I was little. A lot has changed with USC and their football program, but I see them heading in the right direction."

UCLA, meanwhile, has also caught Tagovailoa's eye. His teammate, three-star center Fred Ulu-Perry, is committed to the Bruins.

"Fred is not really recruiting me or telling me to go to UCLA because he's very supportive of whatever my decisions are," Tagovailoa said. "The coaches from UCLA are really nice people. They're really supportive with the recruiting process. A lot can happen in two years, but I'm looking at UCLA as one of my choices as well."

Tagovailoa said he wants to play in a "run-and-shoot" spread offense, though he made sure to note that it's not really about him or his style.

"I want to take my five visits, and after that I want to talk to my parents and figure out what schools can provide academically to be successful," Tagovailoa said. "When I'm making that decision, I want to make a decision for my family. It's not just my decision. I want my family to be happy, too."

Tagovailoa threw for 2,583 yards and 33 touchdowns, and added eight rushing scores in his sophomore season.