Shortly after 1 p.m. on March 14, roughly 200 friends, family members, supporters and local media gathered on the rooftop of the Andaz San Diego in the Gaslamp Quarter.
Behind them stretched panoramic views of downtown, with a narrow strip of pool just off camera during the live broadcast on CBS Sports.
At the center of it all sat Cathedral Catholic junior standout Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, ready to announce his commitment decision for the 2027 college football season. He was flanked by five members of his family, with hats from his six finalist schools — USC, Oregon, Texas, Miami, LSU and Notre Dame — lined up neatly in front of him…