USC Coach Chad Savage Divulges Recruiting Strategy

USC tight ends/inside receivers coach Chad Savage was instrumental in the Trojans signing the top-ranked recruiting class this past cycle. Savage detailed his relentless approach on the trail.

Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chet Strange-Imagn Images | Chet Strange-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES - For years, the USC Trojans were losing recruiting battles with elite prospects in their backyard. Several Big Ten and SEC programs found more success recruiting Southern California than USC. 

The Trojans made a concerted effort to change the narrative with the hiring of general manager Chad Bowden in January 2025, who assembled an All-Star front-office. But USC also made big charges to its coaching staff, hiring assistants that could recruit at a high level, which included inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage. 

The Impact of Chad Savage on the Recruiting Trail

Sep 30, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Chet Strange-Imagn Images | Chet Strange-Imagn Images

Savage was recognized as the Mountain West Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports for three consecutive seasons when he was at Colorado State from 2022-24. High school coaches in Southern California spoke glowingly of Savage. He does a phenomenal job of building genuine relationships with recruits. 

“In terms of recruiting, it's who you are as a person. I'm very relentless when it comes to recruiting,” Savage said. “I take it personal if someone wants to battle us out, battle myself out with a recruit. I'm gonna try to find an end, whether I'm the person texting them last at night, or the first message in the morning going out, or having genuine FaceTimes with them. 

“Touching base with everybody in their life, whether it's their quote-on-quote champion or their guardian or their mom or the dad, or maybe it could be a seven-on-seven coach. Whether it's connecting with people, I think you got or you don’t, you can't just make that over time. God blessed me with people person skills, and I got to use it to my advantage in the recruiting game.”

MORE: Zach Hanson Sends Clear Message About USC’s Mentality on the Offensive Line

MORE: Five Takeaways from USC Coach Chad Savage’s Press Conference

MORE: USC's Offensive Coordinator Doesn't Hold Back About Freshman Quarterback Jonas Williams

It started with Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star receiver Trent Mosley, the 2025 MaxPreps California Player of the Year and First Team All-American. The Trojans landed the local star after battling Notre Dame, Mosley’s parents alma mater. 

Mosley helped kickoff a wave of recruits committing to USC last spring, which also included Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame four-star Luc Weaver, who announced his pledge a week after receiving an offer from Southern Cal. Savage recruited Weaver when he was at Colorado State and that relationship carried over. 

Elite Mater Dei Prospects 

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes recruits Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. walk onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Savage arrived at USC, they had almost no relationship with Mater Dei (Calif.) five-star tight end Mark Bowman. And when Bowman reclassified from the 2027 to 2026 class that month, it meant they had a ton of ground to make up in a short amount of time. 

Savage was relentless in his pursuit of the local product and was able to land a commitment last May. And the Trojans coach also had his eye on Bowman’s high school teammate, four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. 

USC was late to the mix on Dixon-Wyatt and he committed to Ohio State last May. Oregon continued to heavily pursue Dixon-Wyatt but it was the Trojans who gained momentum late in the recruiting process and were able to flip him on the National Signing Day in December. 

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Savage also flipped the No. 1 ranked JUCO tight end this past cycle in Josiah Jefferson from Utah. 

It was a string of recruiting battles the Trojans were losing out for the better part of the last decade. USC doesn’t sign the No. 1 ranked class without Savage.