USC football has stolen UCLA DC D'Anton Lynn to help reinvent the Trojans' defense after a disastrous 2023 season.

Via Pete Thamel:

“Sources: USC is finalizing a deal to hire UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. UCLA finished No. 11 in total defense in his first year there this season, an improvement from No. 89 the year before.”

The numbers speak for themselves. UCLA's defense was 11th in the nation under Lynn's tutelage after he joined. Lynn spent two years prior as the Safeties coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

The USC football defense is the reason they failed to live up to expectations, finishing with a brutal 7-5 record to their standards while going 5-4 in Pac-12 play. The Trojans allowed 34.9 points per game and 454.5 yards per contest. That ranked 245th in the nation. Certainly not a recipe for success, no matter how well Caleb Williams played.

Lynn has loads of experience coaching at the NFL level. Aside from the Ravens job, he's also held defensive positions with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Houston Texans. If you're recognizing the name, it's because Lynn is the son of former LA HC Anthony Lynn.

USC football has needed a new defensive coordinator after Lincoln Riley personally decided to fire Alex Grinch following a brutal loss to the Washington Huskies. Grinch was also Riley's DC at Oklahoma State, therefore it was a very difficult decision to let Grinch go.

Although Lynn's experience as a DC is limited, he proved at UCLA that he has what it takes to improve a defense and that's exactly what the Trojans are hoping he does.