USC Trojans' Chad Savage Reveals Development Philosophy For Tight End Room

The USC Trojans made a home run hire this offseason, bringing on Colorado State's Chad Savage to become the tight ends coach following Zach Hanson's internal promotion. Savage will look to develop a position group that struggled in 2024.

Nov 11, 2023; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams assistant coach - wide receivers Chad Savage talks to his team during the second quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images | Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans made significant changes to their coaching staff over the offseason. USC coach Lincoln Riley was busing making hires on both sides of the ball, but one of the most impactful hires he made was bringing on Colorado State's Chad Savage to be the new tight ends coach following Zach Hanson's promotion to offensive line coach.

Savage comes to USC with plenty of experience working with pass catchers and brings along his impeccable recruiting acumen.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

During a media availability session this offseason, Savage said one of the first things he did when he took the job was get an understanding of the current developments of the position room.

"[You] just got to draw the fine line of how far off are they in terms of development? Nowadays in college football, the clock isn't as long as it used to be, right? If a guy can't show you that he can play at this level, really within a year, year and a half after that spring, maybe it's time to move on or go get somebody else," Savage said.

Although USC is returning last year's starting tight end, Lake McRee, Savage will be encouraging competition among the position group and said the starting spot will have to be earned this offseason and not just gifted to McRee.

"Guys got to understand No. 1, that you got to compete. There's no free handouts, and they got to earn their stripes every single day, because that's how it's going to be at the NFL. You've got to prove your value," Savage said.

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Colorado State football assistant coach Chad Savage during practice on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Ftc0330csufootballsavage | Kevin Lytle/The Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK

Savage's impact goes well beyond the field as he instantly became one of the best recruiters on staff for the Trojans when he was hired. Known for his recruiting prowess in Southern California, Savage has played an instrumental role in landing some of the top in-state recruits for USC during the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Since Savage's arrival, the Trojans have been rocking on the recruiting front, jumping out to become the No. 1 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle with 14 of their 26 commits hailing from California according to 247Sports.

Despite not recruiting a single tight end on the current roster, Savage said he was brought in to develop and plans to make the most of the position room he was given, which explains why the Trojans did not pick up a tight end through the transfer portal this offseason.

"You can't just write somebody off by not putting in the work to coach them. That's why I'm here. It's my job to help develop these guys. And so for me to just write somebody off after one spring, that's not fair. That just shows that I'm not worthy of being a coach here," Savage said.