Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans’ defense is finally beginning to turn heads in 2025. Last year, under the new defensive coordinator, the Trojans made a huge jump, reducing their points allowed per contest from a dismal 34.4 in 2023 to a significantly improved 24.1 in 2024. This season, the unit looks even more formidable, with top contributors such as Kobe Pepe, Kamari Ramsey, and Desman Stephens II receiving valuable experience within Lynn’s system, while additions like Jahkeem Stewart and Marcelles Williams should contribute immediately.

Those days of blown assignments and missed tackles are behind us. Preseason rankings shortchange this unit, some analysts contend, given the leaps they’ve taken working under DC D’Anton Lynn. Lynn’s arrival at USC was a fresh breeze following years of defensive despair. His deliberate and methodical approach to instruction emphasizes comprehension over plowing through ideas. Lynn’s low-key, broad-brush style appeals to players who enjoy his energy and flexibility. And certainly, being the son of an NFL team coordinator speaks volumes about Lynn’s effective coaching methods.

D’Anton Lynn’s path as USC’s defensive coordinator is shaped by lessons learned from his father, a football legend. Recently, D’Anton sat down with Steve Mason & Andy Kamenetzky on June 21st, where they asked him how having the son of 2x Pro Bowler Anthony Lynn as his dad assisted him in his position. “You know I used to go to work with him all the time,” Lynn said on the ESPN LA channel. “And you know the best way I can explain it was I just sat back and I just observed. I just got a chance to watch him interact with the staff, interact with his players. And how he handled adversity.”

D’Anton Lynn essentially grew up on the sidelines, absorbing every aspect of his dad’s football experience. From Anthony’s playing days as a star running back at Texas Tech to his coaching stint in the NFL as the RB coach for the Washington Commanders. There’s a classic anecdote where young D’Anton, only seven years old, sketched out a play in the dirt. His father, the coach, initially chastised him for going over the line, but upon second glance, conceded, “You don’t like my plays? I think my plays are pretty good.” This is the basis of D’Anton’s coaching philosophy.

Even when D’Anton became his father’s sidekick in the NFL as a defensive assistant. There were things inside that were more about gaining trust than special treatment and proving himself. “I just think that there are things that pop up now for me daily. And how I respond or how I react to those things a lot of times comes back to how I saw my dad do it,” Lynn said. He learned about humility and being open-minded at an early age by observing his dad treat all players and staff members with respect. He watched his dad make difficult decisions, but always with compassion and justice. That is why, when D’Anton speaks of his players, he speaks of them first as people, not athletes.

Lincoln Riley bets big on D’Anton Lynn’s magic

Lincoln Riley’s $6 million investment in D’Anton Lynn is one of the big stakes, high aspirations, and pressures. Signing Lynn was a gamble, and it was one that had a price tag on it that made everyone in college football take a double-take. But with all that big dough comes big questions. The criticism begins with Riley himself. With all his genius on offense, Riley’s USC teams have been famously one-dimensional. But defensively questionable when it counts most. The Trojans have amassed top-rated recruiting classes and flashy playmakers, but the victories have not kept pace with the fanfare.

Now that USC is in the Big Ten, the schedule is more challenging than ever. No more sheltering from blue-blood programs such as Michigan, Penn State, and Washington, not to mention the annual rivalries with Notre Dame and UCLA. Enter D’Anton Lynn. The early returns were encouraging. In his debut season, Lynn changed USC’s defense from a weakness to an honorable unit. Observers saw the difference immediately, not only in the statistics but also in the manner in which the Trojans played. There was greater physicality, improved tackling, and a fresh dose of discipline. As was said by former Michigan tight end Jake Butt, “D’Anton Lynn, that defense looked completely different—night and day—from one year to the next. They didn’t have high-level talent… I’m just talking about the physicality they played with, the willingness to tackle, and the discipline.”

But the honeymoon didn’t last forever. The Trojans started hot, beating LSU early in the season, but as the year wore on, the defense faded, especially when injuries and depth issues took their toll. The question now is whether Lynn’s system and his leadership can hold up to success throughout a full season. The heat is on, and not just from the fan base. If Lynn can continue to improve the defense, Riley may at last be able to shake the “offensive savant” tag and demonstrate that he can assemble a finished product.