Penn State’s coaching carousel spun wildly after Jim Knowles’ shocking Tennessee exit, pushing Matt Campbell and the program into the DC hunt. Now, for weeks, D’Anton Lynn fueled speculation, but after a brief silence, he addressed the Nittany Lions’ interest.

“I just focus on the players,” USC Trojans DC D’Anton Lynn said to the media, as per Ryan Kartje of the LA Times. “I just focus on what’s in front of me, their growth, their development, and just trying to get their 10th win.”

Even though Lynn confirmed his focus on the TCU game and denied talking about his move to Penn State, he didn’t completely dismiss the speculation. That puts instant pressure on Lincoln Riley’s team, given that in the 2026 season, they will go up against teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Washington, as well as have road games against Penn State, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Now, Matt Campbell’s major interest in D’Anton Lynn comes from his quick turnaround with the UCLA defense. Under him, the Bruins ranked 14th nationally in 2023 after ranking 90th the year before. Then he did the same with Lincoln Riley’s USC. In 2023, the Trojans were ranked 12th in scoring defense, allowing 34.4 points per game, and 119th in total defense with 43.2 ypg. But last season, they cut opponents’ scoring by 30%, allowing 22.4 points per game, ranking 47th nationally.

What adds up more on Lynn’s resume is his NFL experience. Before coming to Los Angeles, he spent nine seasons in the NFL coaching secondaries for the Baltimore Ravens, Houston, the Chargers, the Bills, and the New York Jets. That extensive experience grabbed former head coach James Franklin’s eyes, too, as he tried to get Lynn onto the team after Tom Allen left for Clemson. But he ultimately remained at USC, and he hired Jim Knowles.

So, that could be the case this year too, as Lynn may still be pretty much tied to the Trojans and not planning to make a move. And even head coach Lincoln Riley wishes to keep him close to the program.

“And this job, frankly, is a lot different than it was four years ago,” Riley said. “And frankly, it’s even a lot different from it was two years ago for any job, not just that [defensive coordinator] job. So it’s part of the world that we live in, and hopefully, we can keep as much continuity as we can. But if we do have to make any replacements, then we’re going to try to do what we’ve done. Do it at a high level and find ways to make our program even better.”

On top of it, making a move to Penn State after Jim Knowles and James Franklin’s failed season will put immense pressure on D’Anton Lynn, but one factor might work in their favor, and that’s his ties to Penn State. Lynn played at Penn State from 2008 to 2011. So, he might take the chance to return home and take the reins at his alma mater.

With Lynn’s decision hanging in the balance on a thin thread, Matt Campbell makes a major recruiting move.

Matt Campbell’s latest 2026 roster addition

With the coaching search, Matt Campbell is also making major recruiting moves with the team. And his latest Christmas addition is three-star linebacker Keian Kaiser in the 2026 class, who joined the Nittany Lions after getting released from his Iowa State signing earlier this month.

Kaiser brings size and production to the Penn State defense. This 6’4”, 215-pound freak ranks No. 1,129 nationally in 247Sports Composite and finished his senior season with 111 tackles and two interceptions.

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But his journey to Penn State wasn’t that straight. Before coming to the Nittany Lions, he explored multiple options after taking the release. He went to Cal and Northern Illinois, then picked up an offer from Minnesota, but ultimately decided to reunite with Campbell at Happy Valley.

After Kaiser’s move, Penn State now has nine total commits after a slow start in the early signing period, with just two commitments. Now, let’s wait and see if Matt Campbell can bring D’Anton Lynn into the program, too.