Viane Talamaivao stands 6'2" 295. The first thing you notice about Viane isn't his size, but his demeanor. Talamaivao is as cool as the other side of the pillow, but don't let the nice guy fool you. As one of the top offensive lineman recruits in the class of 2014, Talamaivao gets nasty in the trenches and will receive attention from schools throughout the country before the end of his junior football season.
Recently, College Level Athletes spoke with Talamaivao and he offered insight into what's been happening on the summer football recruiting trail.
"I was at the UCLA Elite Camp with all of their top recruits. They split it up into two sessions, and all of the lineman were on the practice field and the skill guys were on the soccer field," Viane told College Level Athletes after attending the Bruins football camp.
As a top recruit, being invited to attend elite camps is has become the norm for Viane Talamaivao. The Centennial offensive lineman is one of the top recruits at his position in California's HS class of 2014. Viane also attended the USC Trojans elite camp, where he held his own with the nation's best talent before leaving early with cramps.
"At UCLA they had 1on1's and an hour of individuals …they had a film session in between and a few more drills… there were about 75 guys there."
It's no mystery that the UCLA staff has realized the potential of many HS football recruits who train at the weekly PrimeTime Polynesian football clinic held at Centennial High School.
So far, the Bruins have expressed interest in several top HS football recruits who train at the PrimeTime Polynesian football clinic, that include: Kammy Delp, Poasi Moala (OL/2014), Damien Mama (OL/2014, St. John Bosco), Josh Bucholz (LB/2014, Diamond Ranch), Emerald Faletuipapai (OL/2013, Serra), Kimo Sherlin (LB/2013) and Sunia Kafovalu (LB/2014).
According to Viane, fellow PTP recruit Sunia Kafaovalu, whose older brother Samson signed with the University of Colorado last season, performed well at the UCLA camp. "He (Sunia) actually did really well. I think he's on their radar now," Viane told CLA.
Within the past few months, UCLA announced that they will host their fall football camp to Cal State San Bernardino. CLA asked Viane Talamaivao about his thoughts on the move and how he feels it will impact the recruiting landscape in the Inland Empire:
"I think it's a great move, to be honest. Some of these people feel that UCLA and most of their recruiting hasn't really been in the I.E. (Inland Empire), and it's based more in the Orange County areas and LA. I think they need to bring it out to the I.E., there's a lot of talent out here," he said.
"Besides some of the big-name guys that we already know, like Ohio State commit Marcus Baugh (TE/2013), JoJo Mathis and other guys, I think there's a lot more talent waiting to be discovered out here."
"I think it's a great move for UCLA to bring their recruiting base out here… create a foundation out here in the I.E. With UCLA taking a look at a lot of our guys, it's a great opportunity for our guys to make a great impression. Obviously our PTP guys enjoy it… we had a blast at the UCLA camp. I loved the atmosphere."
In regards to Viane's recruitment, he says that, "Colorado has shown some interest, along with ASU (Arizona State). As far as recruiting goes, the only people that have actually offered me and kept tabs on me is UCLA."
"I talk to Coach Klemm and Coach Morgan. I spoke to (Jim) Mora at the UCLA camp. He invited me over on the field and we were talking a little bit about the season coming up. He said they expect big things and they'll be watching me this year," Talamaivao told CLA.
Centennial's varsity football team is locked and loaded for the 2012 HS football season, and not without warrant, the team is very optimistic.
In the 3rd year of the CIF State HS Football Championships, Corona Centennial beat national powerhouse De La Salle (Concord) to claim the state title and shook up the equilibrium of California HS football.
Be sure to look out for Viane Talamaivao this season, in addition to a few more top offensive lineman recruits such as Cal Bears commit Cameron Hunt (OL/2013) and towering 6'6" 310 pound offensive tackle Anthony Juarez (OL/2013).
Also stay-tuned for the emergence of wide receivers Ryan Pascarella (WR/2013) and Chase Krivashei (WR/2013), who have received interest from a few D1-AA schools.
Other recruit's on the rise from Centennial include running back and DB John Plattenburg, who has received interest from Oklahoma State, as well as defensive end Garrett Hughes who has received an official offer from Cal. Currently, Hughes lists his top school as Cal, Boise State and UCLA.
It's no doubt that Viane Talamaivao feels at home with the PTP family, and it's obvious that the training has helped develop him into one of California's top prep football recruits in the class of 2014.
"The whole atmosphere is alive, and that's the thing I like about it. Going out to PTP you start making friends and and get to know your teammates, and some of these people are who you're going to be playing against. There's something about coming together and working hard with other people… I can't describe the feeling. The bond at PTP is close. Everyone's tight-knit at PTP. I love the training, but it's hard. After PTP I don't even want to go do anything, I just want to go home and sleep," he says.
Stay-tuned for more exclusive updates from the PTP camps on CLA!
