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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