Talanoa Hufanga isn't talking about favorites in the context of recruiting, and there's no reason to believe he's being coy. But there are a lot of reasons to believe Oregon State will be a significant factor in his recruitment.

Talanoa is the younger brother of T.J. Hufanga, who played for the Beavers and can offer unique insights into the school.

As only a Class of 2018 recruit himself, couple that relationship with a former Beaver with the fact that Oregon State recently offered, at such a young age, and it wouldn't be surprising at all if Hufanga found himself thinking about Oregon State quite a bit lately.

Until recently Oregon State's coaches had been showing a fair amount of contact. It's not easy to just reach out to 2018 recruits because of NCAA regulations. But Hufanga is from Corvallis and knows a lot about the school already, so there's familiarity and there are channels of communication that are surely easy to navigate for the staff.

"They had some interest in me and I ended up going to their junior day," Hufanga said. "I got their tour, I ended up having a talk with Coach (Gary) Andersen, and he offered."

What was Andersen's conversation with Hufanga like on that visit?

"He was just talking about different positions I could play," the player recalled. "He was having me see what it's like up there and telling me about their program. He was talking about different aspects of what they do on the defensive end and the offensive side to see where I might best fit in. They see me as more of an athlete who can play both sides of the ball."

Hufanga said he doesn't care, right now, whether he ends up playing offense or defense in college.

Hufanga's Hudl.com page advertises him as only an athlete, although it does mention that he played quarterback and strong safety when he was on each respective side of the ball last year. There doesn't seem to be the obsession with remaining a quarterback, as one might find with some high school prospects who currently play behind center. Then again, the possibility hasn't been ruled out.

"I've visited (Oregon State) a little bit because my brother used to play there and I was always in and out," Hufanga told BeaverBlitz.com. "But it was my first time talking to the coaches there.

"My brother tells me to go wherever I feel the best and wherever I feel comfortable. He's not trying to pressure me to do anything I don't want to do. It's whatever he feels comfortable with," he added.

Although Hufanga is just now getting to know the Oregon State staff his first impression is a favorable one.

"They're great guys," he said following the offer. "I like the coaches. I had a great time talking to them. They made me feel very comfortable while I was there."

Hufanga said he plans to visit Washington, Washington State and Oregon in the next period of the recruiting calendar.