USC fans were met with shocking news after their DC D’Anton Lynn was linked to a move to another B1G program. For years, the knock on Lincoln Riley at the Trojans was a defense that couldn’t stop anyone. After finally finding his answer in Lynn, the real nightmare isn’t just losing him. It’s the potential exodus the move could trigger.

“Losing D’Anton Lynn would be tough, but not all would be lost,” TrojansZone wrote in a December 18 post on X. “If Lynn departs for Penn State, keeping the rest of the staff will be crucial, and the transition could end up being relatively smooth if no other staff members follow.

I believe that keeping all of the current defensive staff members will be critical, especially given the momentum that #USC built this offseason. There’s no need to look outside. The Trojans have everything they need inside.”

Wednesday hit USC fans like a punch. The mastermind behind the Trojans’ defensive turnaround, D’Anton Lynn, abruptly canceled his scheduled presser, and it soon became clear why. Penn State had been planning to appoint Lynn as their defensive coordinator. The move will reconnect the current USC DC to the program where he played as a cornerback for three years from 2008 to 2011 and won three All-Big Ten honors.

Lynn joined the Trojans in the 2024 season after they allowed 34.4 points in 2023. This season, in just his second year at the position, the defense allowed just 22.4 points per game. On top of that, the unit managed 28 sacks, the 5th most in the conference. Before taking over at USC, Lynn had done an equally remarkable job at UCLA.

Lincoln Riley sees Lynn’s potential departure as a blow to everything he has been building at USC. From his early days in Oklahoma to his time in Los Angeles, rumors have consistently suggested that Riley’s defenses were a weak point. That story was rewritten by Lynn. And while USC would still have its defensive staff in place, with Eric Henderson, Skyler Jones, Shaun Nua, Rob Ryan, Trovon Reed, and Doug Belk, the domino effect of losing Lynn could still rattle the program.

On the other side, Penn State’s new head coach, Matt Campbell, is showing absolute dominance with his decision to court Lynn as a part of a newly assembled war room at the Lions.

Campbell brings Cyclone dream team

Matt Campbell’s arrival at Penn State feels like the universe finally catching up to him. Campbell is entering State College with the type of reputation that few hirings provide after more than ten years of outperforming at Iowa State, including the record-breaking 11-win season in 2024. During his time at Ames, he has shown his ability to succeed in situations where winning is not the norm. As he builds his first staff at PSU, it’s obvious that this might be the perfect spot for his ideas to truly take off.

The Lions recently welcomed two more Iowa State alumni: Jake Waters, who will be coaching quarterbacks, and Noah Pauley, who will mentor receivers. While Pauley, the 2024 National WR Coach of the Year, led a team that broke school records, Waters coached Rocco Becht through 39 consecutive starts, the longest active run in the Big 12.

With 12 former Cyclone coaches joining the team, Campbell’s staff already appears to be a formidable team from Ames. However, there are still significant gaps: solutions are still needed for the defensive line, running backs, linebackers, and the defensive coordinator. If Campbell secures D’Anton Lynn as his defensive coordinator, he will have the final component to complete the puzzle.

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