The 2028 adidas Polynesian Bowl continues to add top prospects. Cumming (Ga.) South Forsyth 2029 four-star quarterback Khayel Sam Fong-Talia became the latest recruit to accept his invitation. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound gunslinger is 247Sports’ No. 65 overall prospect and No. 3 quarterback nationally, and the No. 10 recruit in the Peach State.

“I definitely thought it was very special,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “It meant a lot to me. It meant a lot to just be able to have the opportunity to play in it. Being Polynesian, there’s not a lot of Polynesian players out there. There definitely are Polynesian players who have made a name for themselves, but definitely not a lot. Just being able to represent the Polynesian culture in the Poly Bowl is definitely very special to me.”

Getting invited to any all-star game is a big deal. However, for Sam Fong-Talia, this one just hits home a little more than other potential postseason matchups.

“My dad is from American Samoa, and my mom is from the islands of Hawaii, so both Hawaiian and Samoan,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “The Poly Bowl is definitely a lot more special. I’ve had family play in it in the past. I had two cousins playing it pretty recently. Tana Alo-Tupuola and Jayden Jackson. Jayden is over at Oklahoma now, and Tana is at Arizona State. I watched them on television, and just seeing them play definitely inspired me to want to make it to play in those games, too.

“It’s just special because it’s the Poly Bowl. You know what I mean? I’m Polynesian, and to be able to play in the Poly Bowl is just a special feeling. It’s definitely just a special feeling. Then, when we get there, it would definitely be a special feeling being back on my mom’s island, and we will have a lot of family that comes out for the game, so it definitely is very special.”

These past few months have been a whirlwind for Sam Fong-Talia. He made the move from South Carolina to Georgia, stood out at the Elite 11 regional in New York and was stamped by director of scouting Andrew Ivins as a top 100 recruit in the 2029 class while racking up offers.

“It was definitely special coming to school,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “I was congratulated by everyone. It was a good feeling, to be honest. After that first day, we definitely calmed it back down and refocused and kept the main thing, the main thing, which is to win. Going into Week 1, we ended up having a big game, winning last week. Then, in Week 2, we ended up winning again.

“I think my teammates around me, at least the people I hang around with the most, already knew about me and they believed in my abilities, and knew that most likely I would be in this position. I feel like they expect this from me, and I expect it for myself and hold myself to a standard, and they hold me to that standard. It’s definitely good to just be surrounded by them, and they help keep my head level. They are just great guys to be around.”

On the recruiting front, Sam Fong-Talia has been blowing up. Programs are prioritizing him and pushing for him, even though he is at least a full year or two from committing.

“I’ve definitely been feeling the love from schools like Kentucky, Notre Dame, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “Those schools have really resonated with me and my family and have shown a lot of love.”

This fall, look for Sam Fong-Talia to hit the road. He wants to start seeing some live game action, and he’ll be on many college campuses in the coming months.

“I know what schools we’ll probably be at, but I don’t know what games we’ll be at,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “We’ll definitely make it out to Georgia. We’ll make it out to Kentucky. We’ll make it out to South Carolina. We’ll make it out to Georgia Tech. We’ll make it out to Tennessee. We will for sure go to Auburn versus Baylor this Saturday at Mercedes-Benz. We’ll make it out to Notre Dame, and then couple after that. Clemson, too.”

Despite having so many major offers, a few programs haven’t entered the race.

One just so happens to be the “dream offer,” so we’ll see if they offer in the near future.

“Oregon is definitely one of them,” Sam Fong-Talia said. “The Ducks are the program he gravitated toward the most as a child. “Oregon, LSU, Texas and teams like Michigan and Oklahoma, too.”