USC defensive ends coach Shaun Nua discusses true freshman Luke Wafle

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Back in December, USC signed the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in college football for the 2026 cycle. Now, those recruits are true freshmen looking to earn immediate playing time with the Trojans.

One of the top recruits in the class was five-star defensive end Luke Wafle. So how is Wafle adjusting to college football following his first spring camp at USC? In a recent interview with 247Sports, USC defensive ends coach Shaun Nua discussed Wafle and his development.

“No matter what business you’re in, no matter what profession you’re in, you always start with the mindset,” Nua said. “That young man’s mindset and mentality, his makeup is up there. He’s tough, intelligent and just willing to work. And the thing that you see out there, he’s always putting himself on the line in conditioning, so he’ll give you everything he’s got.

“Just his mentality. Maturity for someone that’s straight out of high school [and] still should be in high school for his last semester. Very hard on himself and everything that he does, but also still withholds the confidence to still believe in himself and his strengths.

“He understands his weaknesses, and it’s eye opening for him that there’s still a lot to learn about this game. Not only just situational football, the knowledge of the game, but of him realizing his weaknesses and then trying to strengthen them. But he’s got the mentality that’s ready for all of that.”

Based on Nua’s comments, it seems as though people within the USC program are extremely high on Wafle. As the season gets closer, it will be an interesting storyline to see if he is able to earn immediate playing time, or if the coaching staff decides that he needs more time to develop before seeing the field.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC defensive ends coach Shaun Nua discusses true freshman Luke Wafle

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