USC Freshman Luke Wafle Jokes What 'Scared' Him About Penn State Prep

Coach Lincoln Riley admitted he's never stepped inside Beaver Stadium before. The leader of the No. 18 USC Trojans has a defender who knows how loud Penn State's home gets, though.

It happens to be freshman edge rusher Luke Wafle who knows PSU's noise levels better than Riley and most of his team. However, Wafle made one confession while speaking with reporters on Oct. 7.

What 'Scared' Luke Wafle During Week of Penn State Practice

Marshall Thundering Herd Penn State Nittany Lions Big Ten Conference Beaver Stadium College Football Luke Wafle USC Trojans — Sep 5, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Jo'Shon Barbie (6) pushes through the Penn State Nittany Lions defense during the first quarter at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So USC took this step into preparing for its next opponent: Trying to mimic the upcoming crowd noise.

Well, the Trojans tinkered with the sound system there outside of the Bloom Performance Center. USC made sure the crowd noise got pumped into the speakers. Yet Wafle jokingly admitted what "scared" him during the week of preparing for the Nittany Lions.

"It scared me the first time they were doing sound checks and I was walking out of my class," Wafle said, which drew laughs from reporters.

But USC fans will know that Wafle has now gotten acquianted with the reverberating sound going on inside practice to help prepare for the Beaver Stadium experience. Yet he's heard the same crowd noise before.

When Luke Wafle Took in Penn State

Luke Wafle Penn State Nittany Lions USC Trojans Owen Wafle College Football Big Ten Conference Lincoln Riley — Penn State football head coach James Franklin takes a photo with recruit Luke Wafle and the Wafle family, including defensive tackle Owen Wafle (34), following the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in State College. The White team defeated the Blue team, 10-8. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wafle once built a rapport with former Penn State coach James Franklin and his coaching staff. He took in the sights and sounds of a PSU practice back in April 2025.

But he also took in a Penn State home game during the regular season.

"It's electric," Wafle said when reflecting back on his recruiting trip there. "it's a fun atmosphere and all the guys are excited to play."

Franklin and his staff tried landing the prominent New Jersey five-star and secure a huge east coast recruiting win. But the longtime PSU head coach got fired during the 2025 season. USC, Riley, general manager Chad Bowden and defensive line coach Shaun Nua capitalized and made Wafle a huge recruiting priority for the 2026 class.

How Luke Wafle, USC are Preparing for Loud Venue

Penn State Nittany Lions USC trojans Luke Wafle Lincoln Riley Beaver Stadium College Football Big Ten Conference — Sep 26, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lion fans cheer during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, Wafle and the rest of the Trojans are aiming to prepare for the loud decibel levels. By turning up the sound system and blaring the noise during practices.

"The coaches do a good job throughout the day that'll give us some stuff and some things to work on. We have the crowd noise thing in practice too, which is helpful," Wafle said.

USC Trojans Demond Williams Washington Huskies Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Big Ten Conference College Football — Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) passes the ball against the USC Trojans during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He even verbally described how loud it really gets inside the practice field.

"That speaker gets loud. You can hear it across campus," Wafle said.

He still plans to play his "keys" as he described it and lock in with whatever defensive coordinator Gary Patterson and the defensive coaches call. USC fans are expecting him and the rest of the Trojans to block out all the noise and officially clinch bowl eligibility by beating PSU on Oct. 10. And make some early noise in the race to the Big Ten title plus College Football Playoffs in the process.

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