After three seasons at Wisconsin, Tucker Ashcraft decided this offseason that USC was the right move. For the redshirt junior tight end, the pull of the Trojans went beyond the usual transfer-box checklist. The Seattle native saw a program he wanted to join, and he didn’t hesitate.
“Why not USC? There's so much to love about this place: education, the history, coach [Lincoln] Riley, the offense,” Ashcraft said.
“I could go on and on. It was a pretty easy choice.
I saw a culture that I really wanted to be a part of. I saw a team that I believe can go win the national championship, and I just wanted to be a part of something great.”
The jump from Madison to Los Angeles has brought a very different daily rhythm, and Ashcraft has noticed it immediately.
“Just loud. I live on an intersection and just loud,” Ashcraft said.
“It's a little quieter in Wisconsin, but I love LA and I love everything that it brings. It's really amazing.”
Ashcraft brings real mileage to USC’s tight end room. He has played in 29 college games, and that experience has made him a steady presence around a group that includes five-star freshman Mark Bowman, redshirt freshman Nela Tupou and junior college transfer Josiah Jefferson.
His background at Wisconsin shaped the kind of player he is now.
“I think a lot of my experience comes from blocking, obviously in the Big Ten," Ashcraft said. "Wisconsin, a lot of blocking, route running and all that.
They're really coachable, and I just love seeing that in younger players. That's all you can ask for, is guys that just want to be coached and get better, including myself.
And that's been my idea.”
At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Ashcraft gives USC a physical presence at the position. He has caught 22 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his career, and he knows exactly what kind of tight end he wants to be.
“I just want to be a dominant tight end,” Ashcraft said. “I want to go hit people right in the face and catch the ball. I saw everything I needed to see last year, and I just want to be part of it.”
He’s also working under inside receiver/tight end coach Chad Savage, whose impact on the position has already been felt in Riley’s offense.
“I think he's a great coach. He has that young energy, which you can appreciate as a player,” Ashcraft said.
“You can kind of connect more, have more personal relationship, and he's just a great guy, great coach. He pushes you really hard, and he wants you to be better.”
USC’s tight end room looks crowded, but Ashcraft has a clear lane because of what he brings. Bowman is widely expected to start right away, Tupou kept rising on the depth chart as a freshman and played the most snaps at tight end in the Alamo Bowl, and Jefferson arrived as the No. 1 ranked JUCO tight end in the 2026 class.
Ashcraft may not have the flashiest profile in the group, but he has the most experience and the best blocking chops. The staff is high on him, too.
Redshirt sophomore Walter Matthews, listed at 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, has a different frame altogether, more like an offensive tackle. He and redshirt senior Carson Tabaracci are competing for a spot in the rotation.
In Other News...
USC May Be Closing In On Lincoln Rileys Next QB Of The Future
USC appears to be making a move well ahead of schedule at the quarterback position, and the latest name tied to Lincoln Rileys pipeline is Texas prospect Trey Wright. A three-star recruit from Lone Star High in Frisco, Wright has picked up attention from a wide range of programs, with Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, TCU and SMU all in the mix as he weighs his next step.
National recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong reports that Wright is expected to land with the Trojans, which would give USC another potential long-term answer under center to develop for the future. For a program that has built much of its identity around elite quarterback play, getting ahead of a crowded recruiting race could matter just as much as the commitment itself. [Read more 🡒]
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Both have flashed the kind of physical tools that fit what USC wants to do on offense, which is why they are already being mentioned as possible major contributors by the 2026 season. It is still early, of course, but the encouraging part for the Trojans is that the next wave at receiver does not look like a waiting project, and camp is starting to show that the transition in that group may come faster than expected. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Scrimmage With One Crucial Offensive Line Job Unsettled
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Kaylon Miller has been among the linemen drawing attention for his progress, and the center competition has become one of the more important pieces of the preseason puzzle. With the offense still working through that spot, this scrimmage should give USC a clearer sense of who can handle the job and who is ready to step in when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]