After three seasons at Wisconsin, redshirt junior tight end Tucker Ashcraft transferred to USC this offseason.
And for the Seattle native, what the Trojans presented on and off the field and what he believes the program is building towards, was too good to pass up.
Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Rice Owls at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
"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."
Ashcraft goes from Madison, which isn't a small city with a population of approximately 285,000 people, to Los Angeles, the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and second-most populated city in the country. It certainly has been an adjustment to what he had become accustomed to.
"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."
USC Trojans inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage | USC Trojans inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage
Ashcraft has appeared in 29 games in his collegiate career. He's been a mentor for a new-look tight end room that features five-star freshman Mark Bowman, redshirt freshman Nela Tupou and junior college transfer Josiah Jefferson.
"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."
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tight end has caught 22 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his career. He is a big body that brings an old school Big Ten mentality the whole team can feed off of.
"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."
Ashcraft is learning under the tutelage of inside receiver/tight end coach Chad Savage , who was instrumental in the tight ends becoming a much bigger part of the offense than any other point in Riley's tenure at USC.
"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 Trojans freshman tight end Mark Bowman | USC Trojans on SI
All signs point to Bowman being a day one starter. It's no secret the Mater Dei (Calif.) product is set to be one of college football's highest paid freshman this season. Pair that with his advanced skill set.
Tupou continued to climb the depth chart during his freshman season. And in the Alamo Bowl, he played the most snaps at tight end. Jefferson was the No. 1 ranked JUCO tight end in the 2026 class. Ashcraft is the most experienced and the best blocker of those three, which means he is likely to carve out a role. The staff is also very high on Ashcraft.
Redshirt sophomore Walter Matthews is built more like an offensive tackle at 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds. He and redshirt senior Carson Tabaracci are vying for a spot in the rotation.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Tight End Tucker Ashcraft Explains Why He Transferred to USC Trojans .
