Local Tight End Recruit Fisher Melton Commits To USC Trojans as Preferred Walk-On

The USC Trojans will be adding some depth to its tight end room. 2025 Santa Margarita (Calif) tight end Fisher Melton will be joining the program as a preferred walk-on, he announced on Monday.

USC signed one tight end in the 2025 cycle, Folsom (Calif.) three-star Taniela Tupou, who enrolled in January and took part in spring practice.

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field before a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Melton reeled in nine receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown in nine games as a senior season for one of the top high school programs in Southern California. The Trojans hold a commitment from a pair of blue-chip recruits from Santa Margarita in the 2026 class in four-star EDGE Simote Katoanga and four-star receiver Trent Mosley.

Former USC quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer returned to Orange County in December to become the coach at his alma mater.

Redshirt junior center Kilian O’Connor, who also comes from the local high school, joined the Trojans as a preferred walk-on in the fall of 2022. He’s appeared in 16 games over the past two seasons, including one start against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl, where he also served as a team captain. O’Connor earned a scholarship in the winter.

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Melton joins a deep, but very young tight end room outside of redshirt senior Lake McRee. The Texas native is the leader of that group, having appeared in 39 career games over the past four seasons.

Sophomore Walker Lyons emerged as the Trojans No. 2 tight end last fall and put together a very good spring. The Folsom (Calif.) product played his first live football in two years last season: Lyons suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of his senior season and then went on his 18-month LDS mission right after that.

Lyons had the opportunity to work very closely with new tight ends and inside receivers coach Chad Savage this spring and has already seen a difference in his game.

“He has helped the tight end room a lot with concepts and different techniques on route running,” Lyons said. “He definitely breaks it down and makes it very simple. Teaches us with a lot of NFL tape and really just explains it and shows us why it’s kind of important and he’s already given me so many things that have been super helpful that I have already applied to spring.”

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans tight end Walker Lyons (85) carries the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Redshirt freshman Walter Matthews and Joey Olsen, two former four-star recruits in the 2024 cycle are competing for playing time in the fall.

Matthews has a massive frame at 6-foot-7, 272 pounds. He did not appear in any games in 2024. Olsen appeared in one game last season against Minnesota. Redshirt junior Carson Tabarraci rounds out the room. He appeared in 12 games in 2023, but suffered a season-ending injury last season and did not appear in any games.

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