During the summer, he had given USC rival UCLA a verbal commitment. But that changed over the weekend.

"We had been talking for about a month," Maiava said of USC recruiters. "Last Wednesday, they got serious, but they wanted a solid commitment. I told them I needed more time to think about it. But after watching the USC-Cal game, I knew I wanted to play for a team like that."

The top-ranked Trojans' defense fended off a late threat by the Bears in a 23-17 win on Saturday.

The 6-foot, 215-pound Maiava fits the USC mode, Baldwin coach Chad Kauha'aha'a said.

"Their linebackers aren't very big, too," said Kauha'aha'a, who played linebacker at Utah.

Two of USC's three starting linebackers are about Maiava's size. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, son of former NFL running back and Punahou graduate Mosi Tatupu, is 6-0, 225, and outside linebacker Matt Grootegoed is 5-11, 215. (The other linebacker, Dallas Sartz, is 6-5, 220.)

Maiava attended a USC summer camp, where he started drawing attention of scouting reports that later listed him among the best linebackers in the country. But it was UCLA that offered him a scholarship when he was in Los Angeles in the summer.

In August, Maiava said it was a "soft" commitment because he said he wanted to take some recruiting trips. A couple of weeks ago, when Baldwin had a bye, he took a recruiting trip to Oregon. He said he also was to take trips to Colorado, Washington and Wisconsin.

"But it's USC, now," Maiava said.

Maiava said his commitment to USC is solid. He canceled the rest of his trips and let other schools know he has accepted the Trojans' offer.

USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow, a Punahou graduate and former coach at Waialua High, called Kauha'aha'a last Wednesday.

"USC was in the hunt from the get-go," Kauha'aha'a said. "I was told by (USC's) coaching staff that they don't give out early offers. Coach Chow called me first to make it official. As of Sunday, (Maiava) was going to USC."

Maiava said he will take his official recruiting trip to USC in December.