BELLFLOWER, California — Top-25 junior defensive end Matyao Uiagalelei has grown up in Southern California knowing all about what USC has to offer.

The two-way standout at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower has been on campus with the Trojans before, but there is a new coaching staff in place and that pushed him to make another trip to see the school a couple weeks ago.

Uiagalelei has now been at USC three times since Lincoln Riley took over the program, and the Trojans have certainly helped him to feel comfortable with the new staff.

Having seen his brother, DJ, go through the recruiting process a few years ago, Matayo has a better idea of what he needs to watch closely and what he needs to be aware of when evaluating his options. Getting out to USC multiple times in recent months is part of his due diligence.

“You know, I learned a lot through my brother,” Uiagalelei told Trojan Sports after a spring workout at his school Thursday. “That definitely helped me in my recruiting process and seeing where I wanna go.”

Uiagalelei says one thing he has learned throughout the process up to this point is how to decipher who is being honest with him about the future and the schools’ plans for him when he arrives in college.

So, it should be taken as a positive sign that the new USC coaches have made him feel comfortable enough to make numerous trips out to campus already.

The third-ranked prospect in California is not yet ready to make his decision, but he is building a profile of the Trojans. The latest visit helped him continue to get a better feel for the hometown program.