USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn signs | College News

After remodeling USC’s struggling protection in a single season, rising star defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has signed a contract extension to stay at USC, the college introduced Thursday.

The deal comes after Lynn rebuffed advances from his alma mater, Penn State, which had pursued him for its coordinator opening, in keeping with a particular person with information of the scenario not approved to talk publicly.

USC had already made Lynn one of the highest-paid coordinators in faculty soccer when it employed him away from UCLA final December. That authentic contract, a particular person with information of the deal not approved to talk publicly informed The Times on the time, paid Lynn upward of $2 million per 12 months.

The phrases of Lynn’s extension weren’t identified, however the transfer to retain him was a crucial one, contemplating how far the Trojans protection had come during his solely season as coordinator.

Lynn was believed to be a main candidate for the open coordinator job at Penn State, the place he as soon as performed cornerback, after the Nittany Lions’ final defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, took the open job at Clemson. Lynn was additionally anticipated to obtain curiosity from NFL groups, given his earlier expertise as an NFL assistant.

Instead, he’ll stay at USC, after the college’s leaders moved rapidly to secure the prized assistant.

After bottoming out underneath earlier coordinator Alex Grinch, USC allowed 10 fewer factors per recreation underneath Lynn in 2024, leaping from 121st within the nation in factors allowed final season (34.4 per recreation) to a respectable 56th (24.1). The run protection took a main step ahead, permitting almost 50 yards fewer on the ground per recreation. There had been fewer missed tackles — from 11 on average per recreation to eight — whereas USC improved leaps and bounds on third down and in its pink zone protection.

“You can look at the stats and see a pretty massive difference there,” USC coach Lincoln Riley stated in November. “But I don’t think that tells the whole story. I think D’Anton’s been a really consistent leader.”

While removed from elite, the protection that when stored USC out of the College Football Playoff emerged as one of the intense spots of an in any other case up-and-down season. Much of that credit goes to Lynn, who inherited a protection that was down most of its prime contributors within the entrance seven by the halfway level of the season.

USC’s best go rusher, Eric Gentry, was compelled to sit down out the remaining of the season after simply 5 video games because of a sequence of concussions. Defensive finish Anthony Lucas suffered an damage that ended his season after seven video games, whereas defensive deal with Bear Alexander, who was anticipated to step into a main position, left the group after simply three weeks with the intention of getting into the switch portal.

Still, Lynn managed to make it work, whilst USC struggled to supply a lot of a go rush all through. To counteract these points, Lynn opted to blitz constantly from the secondary, doing what he might to keep opposing quarterbacks off stability.

USC needs to be higher in that regard in Lynn’s second season, with Gentry returning and two switch defensive tackles, Jah Jarrett and Keeshawn Silver, becoming a member of from the Southeastern convention. He’ll have security Kamari Ramsey returning within the secondary, too, after the Trojans prime defensive back spurned the draft to play for Lynn one final season.

Speculation over Lynn’s potential departure had ramped up in latest days, because the Penn State job got here open. USC already misplaced linebacker coach Matt Entz, safeties coach Taylor Mays and offensive line coach Josh Henson because the season ended simply three weeks in the past.

But for Lynn, USC was prepared to maneuver swiftly, assuring its future on protection stays headed in the appropriate direction.