Jude Wolfe embraces Fight On spirit heading into a hopefully-healthy 2023 season

Injuries have limited the impact Jude Wolfe has been able to make on the field during his USC career. But they haven’t impacted his attitude and mindset heading into this 2023 season.

USC’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end looked like he would be a big piece of the Trojans’ offense last fall. He took the lead at the H-back position during spring ball and drew major praise from head coach Lincoln Riley for his play there. But Wolfe’s 2022 season ended before it began as Riley announced early in fall camp that he’d undergone surgery on his left foot and would be out for the start of the year.

The “first part of the year” eventually turned into 11 games. Wolfe did eventually return to the field for the final three, but in limited action on special teams. Wolfe then missed this past spring ball due to injury.

Recapping Wolfe’s entire career at USC: He missed much of 2019 spring ball with a back issue and was limited to just four games that fall. He broke his left foot in the fourth game of the shortened 2020 season. Wolfe missed all of 2021 spring ball while recovering from that injury, though he did play in 11 of the 12 games that season. He was healthy for 2022 spring ball but missed 11 of the 14 games that year. And then he was sidelined this most recent spring ball. At this point, just taking the field for practice each day comes with a different feeling than it did years ago.

“Every day I get to be out here it’s a blessing, really,” Wolfe said. “After all the stuff I’ve been through, it’s, you know, just gotta take everyday one at a time. Be really grateful for the opportunity to still be able to play.”

Wolfe credited the USC support and medical staff, as well as coach Riley, for helping him through all the challenges that come with keeping up to speed with rehab, academics and football while sidelined. He said he also leaned heavily on teammate Solomon Tuliaupupu. There are a few Trojans who immediately come to mind when the topic of injuries comes up. Tuliaupupu and Wolfe are at the top of the list, with safety Max Williams in there as well. Tuliaupupu missed the first four years of his USC career due to various injuries.

“That guy has been through a lot,” Wolfe said of Tuliaupupu. “Seeing the way he attacks his rehab, his recovery, the way he continues to come back. He’s a very resilient guy, one of the toughest people I’ve ever met. So having him in the same locker room, it’s really nice.”

Wolfe said he feels like he’s built for the challenges of coming back to football. And he certainly appears to be in perhaps the best shape he’s been in since arriving at USC.

Wolfe Talking Tight Ends in 2023

USC tight ends were not the focal point of the offense in 2022. Though, the group did catch six touchdown passes and provided some key blocks. The obvious number might not be impressive on the surface again this fall, but Wolfe sees the group as a key part of the bigger picture.

“I think we’re kind of like a more silent hero of the team,” he said of the tight ends. “You don’t get as much glorification. But we’re in there getting down and dirty with the O-Line, helping block on the perimeter, running routes with the receivers. I think we’re gonna have a really big role this year.”

It’s a group that lost Josh Falo, Malcolm Epps and Ethan Rae from last year’s roster. Lake McRee returns as the headliner. Though, it sure looked like Wolfe was going to be a key piece last year before the injury. He caught three passes in the spring game and delivered a big block on a touchdown pass. Converted linebacker Carson Tabaracci and true freshman Kade Eldridge are the other scholarship options there.

Wolfe said there’s plenty of motivation to get on the field this season and be a part of elevating this offense even more than what it did last year. There was a balance for him in being excited to watch it and calling it “tough” that he couldn’t be an active participant in it.

Wolfe called it “weird” that he’s now the elder statesman of the tight end room, and having to take a leadership role this spring while sidelined. He just added it to the list of ways he’s grown over the past few years.

“I think there’s a lot of personal development and mental growth that happens when you get challenged a lot,” Wolfe said. “It’s tough. Every day you have to show up with the same mentality that you want to get better. You want to stay healed. And there’s certainly. times where you feel down. You might have a setback. But it’s important to stay positive, to attack every day with a good attitude and things will work out.”

That’s the hope for Wolfe and the Trojans this fall. He said his goal for the past few years has been to stay healthy enough to play in every game. Regardless of the number of appearances, Wolfe will be one of the easier USC players to root for this fall.

“I’ve proved everything I need to, to myself,” he said. “I know exactly what I can do. I know there’s some things that are just out of your control. These kind of freak accidents are tough to deal with. But I’ve worked my tail off to get back and I’m really excited for this season.”

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