USC Coach Establishing Himself as a Premier Recruiter in College Football

USC picked up a big-time commitment on Friday from 2028 Hamilton (Ariz.) four-star receiver Roye Oliver on Friday.

Oliver, one of the top players on the West Coast regardless of class, put together a sophomore season for the ages, where he reeled in 92 receptions for 1,839 receiving yards, 29 receiving touchdowns and 31 total touchdowns, which earned him MaxPreps National Sophomore Player of the Year honors.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Mater Dei Roye Oliver Mark Bowman Chad Savage Recruiting Trent Mosley Honor Fa'alave-Johnson Spring — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage continues to establish himself as one of the premier recruiters in college football.

Since his arrival in January 2025, Savage has been one of the biggest names at the forefront of Southern Cal’s dramatic shift in the recruiting landscape in college football and has shown no signs of slowing day.

Chad Savage’s Role in USC’s No. 1 Class

Savage was known as one of the top recruiters on the West Coast when he was at Colorado State. That sentiment has since spread with the Trojans and his efforts in the 2026 class are well-documented.

It started with getting USC in the running for Mater Dei (Calif.) five-star tight end Mark Bowman. When Bowman reclassified from the 2027 to the 2026 class last January, the Trojans almost zero communication with him. He seemed destined to head to the SEC, whether it was Georgia, Texas or Alabama.

Savage quickly changed that and was able to land a commitment from the highly coveted pass-catcher before official visit season began. Savage never stopped pursuing Bowman’s high school teammate, four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, even after he committed to Ohio State last May and eventually flipped in on National Signing Day in December.

Santa Margarita (Calif.) four-star receiver Trent Mosley accumulated numerous accolades during his dominant playoff run en route to winning a state championship, which included earning MaxPreps California Player of the Year honors. Mosley is another freshman that could be a day one starter.

Mosley and Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame receiver Luc Weaver put the stamp on Savage’s impact on the recruiting trail in Southern California.

Continued Success in Recruiting

Savage has hit the ground running again in the 2027 cycle. Chaparral (Calif.) four-star receiver and USC commit Eli Woodard has shot up the recruiting rankings this spring and is currently the No. 189 overall prospect, per 247Sports.

San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson was highly sought-after across the country. USC made it a priority to keep the No. 1 player in California from leaving the state and Savage played a pivotal role in making it happen.

When Savage spoke last month at the coaching staff’s spring press conferences, he went in-depth on his passion for recruiting and relentless approach.

"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," said Savage.

Savage is a rising star in the coaching ranks and it’s not just because of his recruiting efforts. USC receiver Makai Lemon made another massive leap under Savage and won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football this past season.

Lincoln Riley had been pushing for the tight ends to become a more effective part of the offense since he became the Trojans head coach in 2022 and in his first season with the program, Savage made it happen. Lake McRee had a career year at USC in his fifth season and has positioned himself to hear his name called in next month’s NFL Draft.

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