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Matthew Pola-Mao thought he had a handle on his recruiting process. Until last week.

That was when a pair of Nebraska coaches — defensive coordinator Erik Chinander and defensive line coach Mike Dawson — stopped by Chandler (Arizona) High School to visit the 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle to "show some love."

Okay, Pola-Mao thought, but no scholarship offer. That changed Thursday when Dawson returned to his school and pitched why the Huskers want him in their 2019 class.

"It was like, 'Oh, Nebraska. Shoot, Nebraska's on the radar,'" Pola-Mao told The World-Herald. "It's pretty cool; I like them."

The composite four-star prospect that Rivals labels the No. 17 defensive tackle in the nation is interested enough that he said he plans to use an official visit to Lincoln in late January. He hasn't used any officials yet and said he also has visits set next month to USC and Arizona State in a process that is "kind of in the air."

Family ties favor USC in the recruiting battle. Pola-Mao's brother, Isaiah, is a redshirt freshman safety at the school. Both are nephews of former Trojans standout and future NFL Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu.