Lincoln Riley assesses the current state of USC's tight end room

The USC Trojans have talent across the board on the offensive side of the ball. Plenty can be said about playmakers at just about every spot on offense. However, there is one position that has been left out of the love fest, tight end. But during a recent post-practice interview, head coach Lincoln Riley showed his tight ends some love, giving an assessment of the current state of their room.

“I feel good. Obviously, you hate to lose Jude (Wolfe) for part of the season like we did. I mean, Jude was really practicing well,” said Riley. “Also, Malcolm (Epps) and Lake (McRee) have really been strong. (Josh) Falo is a guy that we’re hoping will step up and really come on. He’s kind of been intermittently on and off the field, so he’s another guy that needs to stay on the field and get better because he is a talented kid. And then (Sean) Mahoney, (Ethan) Rae, those guys certainly provide some depth as well.

So, we’ve got some bodies. None of these guys have played a ton of football in their career; Malcolm’s played the most. But I do like the skill sets, and I like the numbers we have in there. And I think they will be a part of what we do.”

Unfortunately for the Trojans, Wolfe went down in fall camp with a foot injury, and the team doctors are expecting a lengthy recovery process for the tight end. And this injury could not have come at a more inopportune time for the redshirt junior as he was expected to play a considerable role in the offense this season. Outside of Wolfe, as far as experience is concerned, Epps would be the likely candidate to fill his position until he returns. The six-foot-six senior from Houston, TX, spent the first three years of his collegiate career with the Texas Longhorns. Epps transferred to USC prior to the 2021 season, where he recorded ten catches for 173 yards and one touchdown.

The Trojans have a handful of young tight ends capable of making an impact for the team in any game. As Riley pointed out, the most significant area of concern is in the experience department. While USC has a handful of upper-class at the position, only Epps has seen significant playing time.