In the 2023 season, USC Trojans ranked 119th nationally in total defense, giving up 432.8 yards per game; the rushing defense was similar, ranked 119th out of 133 teams. Of course, the team didn’t get too far with that defense and managed just 7 wins in the regular season in the Pac-12. Something needed to change, since the next challenge was not just to improve defense after Alex Grinch was fired, but also to navigate a whole new conference: the Big 10. While several candidates were considered for the task, including coaches like Tony White. Lincoln Riley stopped at then-UCLA’s defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Now, he has been at USC for one and a half years and has been showing tremendous impact, as shown by a powerful statement by his DT.

USC’s transition to the Big 10 was far from smooth, as the team regressed to a 6-win season. However, the defense under D’Anton Lynn still stood out. USC’s rushing defense stood 53rd nationally, giving up 141.23 yards per game, while the total defense had a good turnaround, finishing 77th nationally last year. The numbers undoubtedly show an unprecedented improvement, but that’s not where Lyyn’s going to stop. Why? It has to do not just with the quality that Lynn had brought, but also with the relationships he has built with his players.

USC’s defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett appeared at a recent press conference and talked about the upcoming Michigan State matchup. When asked about the impact Lynn has been showing at USC, Jarrett couldn’t stop praising the 35-year-old defensive maestro. “Coach Lynn? My dog, man. Been very, very supportive. Been opening up to me. Anytime I have a question or anything like that, he breaks down the whole defense for me. We have a good relationship,” said Jarrett about his DC. That relationship is surely showing its effect on Jarrett this season.

Jarrett has so far appeared in two games this year against Missouri State and Purdue, notching up 2 tackles along with an incredible pick six against Purdue, which he returned 70 yards to the end zone. The performances are thus just the start for Jarrett, as we will see him more involved later in the season, commanding the D line with his beast of a 6’5″ and 360 lb frame. As for Lynn, the 3-0 start USC is having this year has a lot to do with the Celina, Texas native, as he is enjoying his time in the Big 10.

“I love the Big Ten. The Big Ten, to me, is the closest thing to the NFL. When you look at the way the NFL games play, just from the formations you get, the way offenses attack, the offensive lines, tight ends, we still play teams that have two-back sets. Like, it’s the stuff that you only see in the NFL,” said Lynn. The Trojans this year are 59th nationally in total defense, and have given up just 16.7 points per game, ranked 41st nationally. The rushing defense, too, has improved drastically and currently stands at 22nd among 136 FBS teams, giving away just 86.3 rushing yards per game. Surely, the Lynns’ focus for now is USC.

Much of the work has been done by the incoming transfer portal players like Jamaal Jarrett, Keeshawn Silver, DJ Harvey, Bishop Fitzgerald, and DeCarlos Nicholson. But developing them and fitting them into the defensive setup takes initiative, and Lynn has a huge role to play in that. The same feats now are the reason Lynn has been touted for the UCLA job.

D’Anton Lynn clears the air on rumors about the UCLA head coaching job

UCLA on Sunday fired its head coach, DeShaun Foster, after a poor 3-0 start that also included two losses against Mountain West teams. While Tim Skipper has now become the interim head coach, the search for a new face who can revive the program to its past glory days is on. The names rumored are many, including Tony White, a UCLA alum and Oregon’s OC, Will Stein. But D’Anton Lynn’s name has been explored due to the work he did with UCLA as their DC. That said, Lynn, for now, seems not to be interested.

“My mind is just on Michigan State. We have a lot of stuff on defense we need to clean up and improve on, so that’s where all my focus is,” said Lynn about the rumors about the UCLA job. However, the DC hasn’t entirely ruled out a transition to the job in the future, if not now. “I think everyone who gets into coaching wants to at some point. But it’s a long process, and there’s so much in front of your face that if you stop paying attention, bad things happen,” announced Lynn.

Lynn had served as UCLA’s defensive coordinator for the 2023 season and took the program to No. 2nd in rushing defense and 2nd in yards per rush allowed. The defense overall was a transformation after Lynn turned it around, as it was ranked 87th nationally in yards allowed per game in 2022. The incredible work, then, surely bolsters Lynn’s resume for a head coaching job at UCLA. However, for now, Lynn is busy focusing on the Michigan State game on September 20th at the Coliseum, since the Spartans, too, are 3-0 this season.