Four Observations From USC Coach Chad Savage's Media Availability

USC inside receivers/ tight ends coach Chad Savage was an incredibly impactful hire for the Trojans when they brought him over from Colorado State last January.

He's been instrumental in the programs recruiting surge over the past couple of cycles, helped receiver Makai Lemon blossom into a Biletnikoff Award winner and elevated the tight end room to a level coach USC coach Lincoln Riley had been pushing for years to reach. Heading into his second season, here are four takeaways from Savage's media availability.

Trent Mosley is a Rising Star at USC

Freshman receiver Trent Mosley had a decorated high school career playing for Trinity League power Santa Margarita (Calif.). This past fall, he helped lead them to its first state championship since 2011, earning MaxPreps California Player of the Year and first team All-American honors in the process.

In the spring, Mosley has essentially picked up where he left off from his epic playoff run and was arguably the Trojans most impressive freshman this spring. Mosley is quick, he glides down the field with the ball in his hands and can create explosive plays in the short passing game or vertically. The local product is tough and highly competitive and a strong candidate to replace Lemon in the slot.

"Trent had a really strong spring, super excited for the future that he's got at USC," Savage said. "He carries himself like a pro, meets like a pro, and the way he handled the playbook for an early enrollee was very impressive. He's got a bright future, which we knew the whole recruiting process. The year he had at Santa Margarita as a senior was the best of the best. And we're excited that he's with us here at USC, and now we just obviously got to keep improving every single day."

2027 Recruiting Class Shaping Up on Offense

Savage was essential to the Trojans signing the No. 1 class in the 2026 class, landing recruits such as Mosley, five-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, all of whom are expected to make an immediate impact in the fall.

Savage has remained hot on the trail in the 2027 class, landing commitments from San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star athlete Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, Chaparral (Calif.) four-star receiver Eli Woodard and 2028 Hamilton (Ariz.) four-star receiver Roye Oliver, the MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year, who is widely expected to reclassify.

Last cycle, USC signed 35 recruits, the 2027 class is expected to be about half of that, which means they have been more strategic with their recruiting approach. And after landing San Mateo (Calif.) Serra three-star tight end Jace Cannon last weekend, the Trojans are most likely done recruiting pass-catchers. They also hold a commitment from Corona Centennial (Calif.) four-star receiver Quentin Hale.

"It's a challenge. You just got to be diligent with everything you do," Savage said. "You got to ask the right questions when you're talking to these high school coaches, trainers, family guardians. But it makes our job fun because you can go after those guys that you really want. And it's also fun because the timelines a little sped up because you're only taking a few guys. But we're in a good spot right now. We're super excited about the ones that we've got committed to us."

Remaining Hot on the Recruiting Trail

USC's recruiting efforts have drastically changed since the turn of last year. Key arrivals included Savage, general manager Chad Bowden, assistant general manager Drew Brown, executive director of player personnel Max Stienecker, assistant AD of recruiting operations Zaire Turner, cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed and Zach Hanson moved from tight ends to the offensive line coach.

The Trojans retained key personnel members such as Aaron Amaama, aka coach Dogg and Weston Zernechel. Pairing of an elite front office with a coaching staff that is excellent at building genuine relationships has put the Trojans on track to stack back-to-back elite recruiting classes.

"It's everybody sharing that same vision, pulling the rope in the same direction," Savage said. "Having that competitive stamina that if you want to be great, we talked about it, greatness requires greatness. If you want to be great with scheme, you got to invest the time. If you want to be a great recruiter, you got invest the time with relationships. And Coach Riley is always talking about greatness requires greatness, so, us coaches have to live that every single day."

New-Look Tight End Room

Gone are USC's top two tight ends from a year ago but they have retooled at the position, signing players such as Bowman, Josiah Jefferson, the No. 1 JUCO tight end this past cycle, and Wisconsin transfer Tucker Ashcraft.

Nela Tupou saw extended playing time the final two games of his freshman season last fall. Carson Tabaracci and Walter Matthews are two veterans that have been in the program for a few years. And because Savage's success with the tight ends in his first season, the standard for that position group has risen.

"A lot of versatility, a lot of different body types with a lot of different skill sets," Savage said. "Some good pieces that were new to us this year. Tucker, Mark, Josiah, Tabo had a great spring. Nela obviously matured. Walter was doing a lot of great things. He took tremendous strides. A lot of different pieces, a lot of different skill sets, I think they're gonna have a great spring in the weight room, and then it's opportunity for us to just keep coaching these guys come summer, then getting ready for fall camp."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Four Observations From USC Coach Chad Savage's Media Availability .

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM.