From senior Lake McRee to 6-foot-6, 272-pound freshman Walter Matthews (23), the six tight ends on the roster have different skill sets, but Coach Lincoln Riley thinks they can all make an impact
USC SR TE Lake McRee is going into his fifth season and is the undisputed leader of the Trojans’ TE’s room. He has 67 catches for 704 yds and three TDs in 29 career games. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Dan Lovi (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — The players in USC’s tight end room come in all shapes and sizes, literally.
Whether it’s 6-foot-6, 272-pound freshman Walter Matthews, who is built like an offensive lineman, or 6-5, 246-pound freshman Joey Olsen, who is a receiver at heart, the six current tight ends on the roster all bring different skill sets to the team.
Head coach Lincoln Riley said it’s one of the deepest and most multifaceted groups he has had since he took over the program in 2022.
“It’s a deeper, certainly more talented group than what we’ve had. … You feel their presence probably more on the practice field than you ever have because of numbers and how we’re using them and the plays that they’re making,” Riley said after Tuesday’s practice. “So I think we’ve got some really good competitive depth. We’ve got some good position battles going on. We’ve got some differing skill sets that’ll be kind of fun to see how they all evolve and how we use them.”
In addition to Matthews and Olsen, freshman Taniela Tupou, sophomore Walker Lyons, junior Carson Tabaracci and senior Lake McRee round out the tight ends.
McRee and Olsen will likely be featured more in the receiving game, while Matthews, Tupou, Lyons and Tabaracci might be used more in the blocking game.
But all six players are versatile enough to be impactful on the line and in the pass-catching department.
“We have a little bit of everything in that room,” McRee said. “You know, you’ve got dudes like Walter (Matthews) who, he sent me a picture, he was 280 pounds on the scale today. And then you’ve got dudes like Taba (Tabaracci) who are quick, finesse, and can do a lot of stuff. So a lot of different stuff in that room that’s cool to see.”
It’s not just the different skills they bring to the field, but the variance in age and experience.
McRee is going into his fifth season and is the undisputed leader of the group. He has 67 catches for 704 yards and three touchdowns in 29 games as a Trojan.
McRee actually walked at USC’s Senior Day, but decided to come back because he said he had “unfinished business.”
“Winning. Winning something. I have two bowl game rings, but I want something that means a little more,” McRee said. “That’s not only what I want, it’s what our whole team wants. That’s what we have on our mind right now in spring.”
Olsen, Matthews and Tupou make up the youngest tight ends on the roster, all freshmen who have been gleaning everything they can from McRee and Tabaracci so far this spring.
“Lake’s the real veteran of the room, so I just really take a lot of the stuff he does and learn from him,” Olsen said. “Just how to be a professional, how he runs routes, how he blocks, his physicality. So I’ve just taken a lot from him.”
The group also has a new coach, Chad Savage, who joined USC after spending the last three years as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Colorado State.
Savage stepped into the role vacated by Zach Hanson, who transitioned to the offensive line coach and assistant head coach for the offense.
“Coach Savage has been awesome. He’s had a lot of success at his other schools with his other players,” McRee said. “He brings a lot to the receiving game, which I think is great for my game. I learned a lot from coach Hanson in the blocking game. So a tight end’s dream, learn from a line coach, learn from a receiver coach.”
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In case you missed this, here’s USC’s 22nd 2026 commitment, 6-7, 275-pound 3-star OT Vlad Dyakonov from Folsom, CA. Scott Schrader (WeAreSC) — On3 Consensus ranks him as the No. 447 overall player and the No. 34 2026 OL. Dyakonov chose USC over ASU, CAL and UTAH. Of USC 22 commits, more than half are either 4 or 5-stars and ranked among the top 250 players nationally. Under the leadership of new GM Chad Bowden, the Trojans continue to excel on the recruiting trail. While many USC fans are certainly frustrated that it took the Trojans so long to start acting like a serious recruiting program… Read more »
Glad Tennessee told their hotshot QB Lamaleava to hit the road as he perfectly put himself ahead of the team demanding more money and becoming a no show. You knew eventually an ungrateful athlete would try to leverage his way playing the no-show card. Either his naive agent or his overblown opinion of himself has to try to resell himself as a team player when it won’t fly in CFB.
UCLA might take a swing at him, but I doubt they have the clout to land him, assuming you would want this greedy dude. He grew up in Calif, and can’t re-sign with another SEC team due to conference rules.
Battle at Right Tackle Anthony De Leon (LA Times) — Justin Tuanauu found himself in a nerve-racking position, tackling a new role with only a few reps under his belt. During last year’s Las Vegas Bowl, he suddenly was asked to step in when USC starting tackle Elijah Paige went down with an injury. It wasn’t the play calls or blocking assignments running through the young freshman’s mind — it was the fear of making a blunder and getting “chewed out” in his first real opportunity to prove himself. “I’m going in just thinking, like, don’t mess up, don’t make… Read more »
Jaden Brownell from Samford (22-11 last season) commits to USC men’s basketball Connor Morrissette (USCFootball.com) — USC men’s basketball received its fourth transfer portal commitment of the cycle Friday when former Samford forward Jaden Brownell pledged to the Trojans. Brownell averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season for the Bulldogs. He shot 51.3 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three-point range, and 80.3 percent from the free throw line. Brownell started 31 of the team’s 33 games. As a 6-foot-9, 230-pound wing, Brownell provides versatility on both ends, which head coach Eric Musselman covets. The redshirt senior will fit in well to Musselman’s… Read more »
Is USC centerClarice Akunwafo playing one more year and is she ready to start? Rhaya Marshall is graduating. What is coach Gottlieb going to do about a center? You have to have a rebounder/shot blocker under the basket.
You are correct. Losing 5’9″ Kayleigh Heckel in not that big a deal. Losing 6’4″ Marshall and 6’3″ Iriafen is. Gottleib needs to be hunting the portal for some bigs.
USC lost two of its 3 five-star freshmen to the portal. Meanwhile, UCLA’s entire freshmen class and key juniors Londynn Jones and forward Janiah Barker entered the portal.
Is WBB NIL money starting to flow around the country and USC and UCLA are not keeping up?
USC doesn’t have NIL problems. I can’t speak for UCLA, though they never seem to have much money, just enough to pay off CAL. I’m sure USC could have paid for Heckel and Howell to stay if they wanted, unless those girls just didn’t like staying at USC or in southern Calif, which is very different from where both grew up. USC is bringing in all-world frosh guard Jazzy Davidson (below), and that obviously cost some real dough. I’m not worried about USC “not keeping up” at all. I’m looking forward to hearing what Lindsay Gottlieb has in her plans… Read more »
For sure, Howell probably wanted to go home. A lot of freshman get home sick when they go away to college. As I said above, losing 5’9″ Heckel, as fun as she was to watch, is not a big deal. Gottleib needs to get some size.
Since Gottlieb is one of the best coaches of women’s basketball in the country, I’m betting she is well aware of exactly what USC needs, and what USC doesn’t need. As you say, she needs major size and has to replace a couple of very good bigs. I get the impression I have a just a tad more faith in her than you do. Maybe that’s incorrect, but I wouldn’t trade Gottlieb for any coach in the country as USC’s women’s coach. She even beat #1 UCONN and Geno Auriemma this season at UCONN when JuJu was healthy. She’s got… Read more »
She is the best, wouldn’t trade her for anybody. USC would have won it all with a healthy Juju. Just anticipating the next moves she makes and discounting the defections. Now SUCLA has much bigger problems. How do you go to the final 4 and then lose your entire freshman class? U…C…L…A…SUCKS!
USC Visitor List today 4-star USC CB Commit Brandon Lockhart, L.A. Loyola 3-star USC WR Commit Ja’Myron Tron Baker, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon 4-star USC IOL Commit Esun Tafa, Draper Corner Canyon, UT 4-star WR Kayden Dixon Wyatt, Santa Ana Mater Dei 2027 RB Noah Roberts, Chandler Basha, AZ 4-star LB Shaun Scott, Santa Ana Mater Dei 3-star Edge Max Meier, L.A. Loyola USC Visitor List for tomorrow and Saturday 4-star Edge Trenton Henderson, Pensacola Catholic, FL 4-star Edge Luke Wafle, Princeton Hun School, NJ 3-star USC DL Commit Malik Brooks, Downey St. Pius X 4-star Edge Tristian Givens, Columbus… Read more »
I would like to see Bowden, LR & Rob Ryan go all out on LB Tyler Atkinson. Seems he got the royal treatment on his recent visit. I know we are dealing with another across the Country recruit again and from Georgia that Kirby Smart will no doubt try to fence in. But just the same, this athlete is a top notch speedster that Coach Ryan would love to get his hands on.
SI.com — Grayson (GA) five-star LB Tyler Atkinson was back in Los Angeles this past weekend to visit USC for the first time since last fall. “I had a great experience this weekend at USC,” Atkinson told On3. “They have a lot of NFL knowledge and experience on the coaching staff, and a lot of opportunities in LA.” The No. 8 overall 2026 prospect, No. 1 LB and No. 1 player in the state of Georgia was part of a star-studded recruiting weekend for the Trojans. Atkinson spent time with defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebackers coach Rob Ryan, former Super Bowl champion linebacker and… Read more »
I hope his remarks were sincere Allen. I know Coaces Lynn & Ryan had to impress him. If Chad Bowden is in contact with him, then the only thing I think competes with that is home cooking and Georgia backing a Brinks truck to his front door.
This will take a major, amazing effort by USC to somehow pull this kid out of Georgia against stiff competition, most of which is much closer to Atkinson’s home. I’m not optimistic, but USC finally has a recruiting team, led by our fantastic new GM, that rivals anyone in the country. GA, AUB, ORE and OHIO ST (where Atkinson also recently visited) all come up as tough opponents in this contest. ORE has only landed one recruit since the beginning of the year. How cool is that! “He’s a highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a… Read more »
Maybe SC ought to tone down their recruiting for awhile. You don’t want to use all your spots. A lot of great players will pop out of the woodworks in 2025.
New Roster Limits are increased by 20 (presuming the House v NCAA settlement eventually goes through. Judge Claudia Wilken has currently declined to approve the settlement and its effect on proposed roster limitations). If approved, the new “105 rule” in college football, created by the House v. NCAA settlement, dictates that teams can have a roster limit of 105 players, all of whom can be on scholarship. Previously, teams were limited to 85 scholarship players, but now, with the 105-player limit, schools can legitimately have 20 more scholarship players on their roster. Walk-ons could be a thing of the past, or severely reduced, with… Read more »
I’m not sure how many spots they have left if the 105 rule is made legitimate but I’m sure there are players out there right now who are not even on anyones radar that will take great steps of maturity and upgrade their game in 2025 who we will be interested in.
USC and all schools are exceptionally well-versed in weeding out commitments they no longer consider desirable so they can make room for others they want more.
The commitment arena has always worked both ways. While prospects oftentimes call the shots, schools also let kids go. Hopefully, they do so when there is still time for the prospect to find another desirable landing spot.
Duce Robinson chose to transfer to Florida State from USC for a few key reasons: a strong personal connection to the school (his father, Dominic, played both football and baseball for the ‘Noles, and FSU was Duce’s childhood fave), the opportunity to play for Mike Norvell in Coach Gus Malzahn’s offense, and a desire to become one of the best WRs in the country. The Osceola — “Florida State’s always been a very special place to me. My pops went to Florida State. My mom went to Florida. It was always a fun rivalry,” Robinson said. “Me and all my brothers were Florida State fans… Read more »
They’re going after all these tight ends like Luke Sorenson. If they get him I hope they use him.Why go after all these tight ends if you are not going to use them?
Maybe the reason that they are going after all these tight ends is that they plan on running the ball more. LR uses tight ends and H-backs(or he used to at Oklahoma) in his running game.
USC LB coach Rob Ryan is impressed by his position group to this point in spring ball, but depth remains an issue… Erik McKinney (WeAreSC) — The linebacker group for USC is the thinnest position on the roster and there’s no reason to couch that statement with a “might be” or “is arguably.” But new position coach Rob Ryan joined Trojans Live on Monday and spoke highly again of the top two guys at his spot and likes what he has to work with there this spring. The Trojans welcome back a former starter in Eric Gentry who missed the final eight games of the regular… Read more »
Gentry is so key. With him out, the USC D loses an amazingly versatile weapon.
Since he had to redshirt last season because of numerous concussions over a short period of time, his availability over an entire season is a real concern to me.
They do need some depth at that position because of Gentry’s injury problem. I’m really surprised that LB’s are not running to come to SC. They are going to have an outstanding D=Line(especially inner D-line). When you have a great D-line, the inner LB’s end up gobbling up tackles and stats.
The group also has a new coach, Chad Savage, who joined USC after spending the last three years as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Colorado State.
In case you missed this, here’s USC’s 22nd 2026 commitment, 6-7, 275-pound 3-star OT Vlad Dyakonov from Folsom, CA. Scott Schrader (WeAreSC) — On3 Consensus ranks him as the No. 447 overall player and the No. 34 2026 OL. Dyakonov chose USC over ASU, CAL and UTAH. Of USC 22 commits, more than half are either 4 or 5-stars and ranked among the top 250 players nationally. Under the leadership of new GM Chad Bowden, the Trojans continue to excel on the recruiting trail. While many USC fans are certainly frustrated that it took the Trojans so long to start acting like a serious recruiting program… Read more »
If you watch his film, he’s a mauler in the run game
Glad Tennessee told their hotshot QB Lamaleava to hit the road as he perfectly put himself ahead of the team demanding more money and becoming a no show. You knew eventually an ungrateful athlete would try to leverage his way playing the no-show card. Either his naive agent or his overblown opinion of himself has to try to resell himself as a team player when it won’t fly in CFB.
Buyer’s Beware
UCLA might take a swing at him, but I doubt they have the clout to land him, assuming you would want this greedy dude. He grew up in Calif, and can’t re-sign with another SEC team due to conference rules.
QB Nico Iamaleava, on the road again…
Battle at Right Tackle Anthony De Leon (LA Times) — Justin Tuanauu found himself in a nerve-racking position, tackling a new role with only a few reps under his belt. During last year’s Las Vegas Bowl, he suddenly was asked to step in when USC starting tackle Elijah Paige went down with an injury. It wasn’t the play calls or blocking assignments running through the young freshman’s mind — it was the fear of making a blunder and getting “chewed out” in his first real opportunity to prove himself. “I’m going in just thinking, like, don’t mess up, don’t make… Read more »
I’m rooting for both to start or get sufficient playing time to reward their healthy attitude getting better and competing.
Jaden Brownell from Samford (22-11 last season) commits to USC men’s basketball Connor Morrissette (USCFootball.com) — USC men’s basketball received its fourth transfer portal commitment of the cycle Friday when former Samford forward Jaden Brownell pledged to the Trojans. Brownell averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season for the Bulldogs. He shot 51.3 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three-point range, and 80.3 percent from the free throw line. Brownell started 31 of the team’s 33 games. As a 6-foot-9, 230-pound wing, Brownell provides versatility on both ends, which head coach Eric Musselman covets. The redshirt senior will fit in well to Musselman’s… Read more »
Is USC centerClarice Akunwafo playing one more year and is she ready to start? Rhaya Marshall is graduating. What is coach Gottlieb going to do about a center? You have to have a rebounder/shot blocker under the basket.
You are correct. Losing 5’9″ Kayleigh Heckel in not that big a deal. Losing 6’4″ Marshall and 6’3″ Iriafen is. Gottleib needs to be hunting the portal for some bigs.
USC lost two of its 3 five-star freshmen to the portal. Meanwhile, UCLA’s entire freshmen class and key juniors Londynn Jones and forward Janiah Barker entered the portal.
Is WBB NIL money starting to flow around the country and USC and UCLA are not keeping up?
USC doesn’t have NIL problems. I can’t speak for UCLA, though they never seem to have much money, just enough to pay off CAL. I’m sure USC could have paid for Heckel and Howell to stay if they wanted, unless those girls just didn’t like staying at USC or in southern Calif, which is very different from where both grew up. USC is bringing in all-world frosh guard Jazzy Davidson (below), and that obviously cost some real dough. I’m not worried about USC “not keeping up” at all. I’m looking forward to hearing what Lindsay Gottlieb has in her plans… Read more »
For sure, Howell probably wanted to go home. A lot of freshman get home sick when they go away to college. As I said above, losing 5’9″ Heckel, as fun as she was to watch, is not a big deal. Gottleib needs to get some size.
Since Gottlieb is one of the best coaches of women’s basketball in the country, I’m betting she is well aware of exactly what USC needs, and what USC doesn’t need. As you say, she needs major size and has to replace a couple of very good bigs. I get the impression I have a just a tad more faith in her than you do. Maybe that’s incorrect, but I wouldn’t trade Gottlieb for any coach in the country as USC’s women’s coach. She even beat #1 UCONN and Geno Auriemma this season at UCONN when JuJu was healthy. She’s got… Read more »
She is the best, wouldn’t trade her for anybody. USC would have won it all with a healthy Juju. Just anticipating the next moves she makes and discounting the defections. Now SUCLA has much bigger problems. How do you go to the final 4 and then lose your entire freshman class? U…C…L…A…SUCKS!
UCLA doesn’t have the money. I think it will slowly become another Cal or Stanford or Washington State athletically
USC Visitor List today 4-star USC CB Commit Brandon Lockhart, L.A. Loyola 3-star USC WR Commit Ja’Myron Tron Baker, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon 4-star USC IOL Commit Esun Tafa, Draper Corner Canyon, UT 4-star WR Kayden Dixon Wyatt, Santa Ana Mater Dei 2027 RB Noah Roberts, Chandler Basha, AZ 4-star LB Shaun Scott, Santa Ana Mater Dei 3-star Edge Max Meier, L.A. Loyola USC Visitor List for tomorrow and Saturday 4-star Edge Trenton Henderson, Pensacola Catholic, FL 4-star Edge Luke Wafle, Princeton Hun School, NJ 3-star USC DL Commit Malik Brooks, Downey St. Pius X 4-star Edge Tristian Givens, Columbus… Read more »
I would like to see Bowden, LR & Rob Ryan go all out on LB Tyler Atkinson. Seems he got the royal treatment on his recent visit. I know we are dealing with another across the Country recruit again and from Georgia that Kirby Smart will no doubt try to fence in. But just the same, this athlete is a top notch speedster that Coach Ryan would love to get his hands on.
SI.com — Grayson (GA) five-star LB Tyler Atkinson was back in Los Angeles this past weekend to visit USC for the first time since last fall. “I had a great experience this weekend at USC,” Atkinson told On3. “They have a lot of NFL knowledge and experience on the coaching staff, and a lot of opportunities in LA.” The No. 8 overall 2026 prospect, No. 1 LB and No. 1 player in the state of Georgia was part of a star-studded recruiting weekend for the Trojans. Atkinson spent time with defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, linebackers coach Rob Ryan, former Super Bowl champion linebacker and… Read more »
I hope his remarks were sincere Allen. I know Coaces Lynn & Ryan had to impress him. If Chad Bowden is in contact with him, then the only thing I think competes with that is home cooking and Georgia backing a Brinks truck to his front door.
This will take a major, amazing effort by USC to somehow pull this kid out of Georgia against stiff competition, most of which is much closer to Atkinson’s home. I’m not optimistic, but USC finally has a recruiting team, led by our fantastic new GM, that rivals anyone in the country. GA, AUB, ORE and OHIO ST (where Atkinson also recently visited) all come up as tough opponents in this contest. ORE has only landed one recruit since the beginning of the year. How cool is that! “He’s a highly-productive inside linebacker that can emerge as the soul of a… Read more »
Maybe SC ought to tone down their recruiting for awhile. You don’t want to use all your spots. A lot of great players will pop out of the woodworks in 2025.
New Roster Limits are increased by 20 (presuming the House v NCAA settlement eventually goes through. Judge Claudia Wilken has currently declined to approve the settlement and its effect on proposed roster limitations). If approved, the new “105 rule” in college football, created by the House v. NCAA settlement, dictates that teams can have a roster limit of 105 players, all of whom can be on scholarship. Previously, teams were limited to 85 scholarship players, but now, with the 105-player limit, schools can legitimately have 20 more scholarship players on their roster. Walk-ons could be a thing of the past, or severely reduced, with… Read more »
I’m not sure how many spots they have left if the 105 rule is made legitimate but I’m sure there are players out there right now who are not even on anyones radar that will take great steps of maturity and upgrade their game in 2025 who we will be interested in.
USC and all schools are exceptionally well-versed in weeding out commitments they no longer consider desirable so they can make room for others they want more.
The commitment arena has always worked both ways. While prospects oftentimes call the shots, schools also let kids go. Hopefully, they do so when there is still time for the prospect to find another desirable landing spot.
true
I still wonder what happened with Duce Robinson to make him want to transfer….
Duce Robinson chose to transfer to Florida State from USC for a few key reasons: a strong personal connection to the school (his father, Dominic, played both football and baseball for the ‘Noles, and FSU was Duce’s childhood fave), the opportunity to play for Mike Norvell in Coach Gus Malzahn’s offense, and a desire to become one of the best WRs in the country. The Osceola — “Florida State’s always been a very special place to me. My pops went to Florida State. My mom went to Florida. It was always a fun rivalry,” Robinson said. “Me and all my brothers were Florida State fans… Read more »
They’re going after all these tight ends like Luke Sorenson. If they get him I hope they use him.Why go after all these tight ends if you are not going to use them?
Maybe the reason that they are going after all these tight ends is that they plan on running the ball more. LR uses tight ends and H-backs(or he used to at Oklahoma) in his running game.
USC LB coach Rob Ryan is impressed by his position group to this point in spring ball, but depth remains an issue… Erik McKinney (WeAreSC) — The linebacker group for USC is the thinnest position on the roster and there’s no reason to couch that statement with a “might be” or “is arguably.” But new position coach Rob Ryan joined Trojans Live on Monday and spoke highly again of the top two guys at his spot and likes what he has to work with there this spring. The Trojans welcome back a former starter in Eric Gentry who missed the final eight games of the regular… Read more »
Gentry was on his way to an All-American season before he got hurt… I hope he can stay healthy this year.
Gentry is so key. With him out, the USC D loses an amazingly versatile weapon.
Since he had to redshirt last season because of numerous concussions over a short period of time, his availability over an entire season is a real concern to me.
They do need some depth at that position because of Gentry’s injury problem. I’m really surprised that LB’s are not running to come to SC. They are going to have an outstanding D=Line(especially inner D-line). When you have a great D-line, the inner LB’s end up gobbling up tackles and stats.