Intel: Two teams standing out most to DL Nemyah Telona

Nemyah Telona had a meeting with family and those close to him on Thursday night as the three-star defensive lineman from Concord (Calif.) De La Salle figures out the final steps in his recruitment.

Telona has been committed to Cal since June 1 but Arizona and Arizona State have pursued heavily in recent months and there has been a sense that the Northern California standout has been torn as to what he should do come signing day.

After the Thursday night meeting, Arizona State has been largely eliminated from his recruitment and now it’s down to the Wildcats or sticking with his commitment to the Golden Bears.

Some close to him feel that Cal still looks strong and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he decides to stick with his original commitment.

There are a few reasons why.

With family so close, Telona has a good support system around him in the Bay Area and that is definitely a consideration especially with Cal in the ACC now and traveling to games being much more common.

His relationships with the Cal coaching staff remain strong and that has never wavered throughout his recruitment. The NIL picture in Berkeley seems to be more favorable and that could also play a significant role in any final decision-making process.

But Arizona does provide one thing that has intrigued Telona throughout his recruitment: Defensive line coach Joe Salave’a.

One of the best recruiters in the West, Salave’a has done an excellent job landing some top prospects during his time in Tucson and Telona has been a big target of his this recruiting cycle.

When the De La Salle standout visited Arizona earlier this season, he loved the “transparency and hospitality” he received on his visit and sources say his connection to Salave’a is considerable.

But the three-star defensive lineman has also been urged not to only consider position coaches when making his decision since there is so much coaching turnover all the time and being stuck in Tucson if coaches move could be a tough break.

Coming into the weekend, the feeling is that Cal still holds an edge in his recruitment but that it’s now a two-horse race to signing day.