USC Football: New-Look Trojans Defense Dominates 2024 Spring Game

A harbinger of things to come under D'Anton Lynn?

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

On the first series of the USC football spring game, Mississippi State transfer DeCarlos Nicholson made a statement as he broke up a pass intended for wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane.

This was just the start.

As quarterbacks Miller Moss, Jayden Maiava and Jake Jensen looked to impress on the field, the secondary stalled them from getting into a groove. In total, the defense snatched four interceptions and five turnovers.

This turnout could not be more different from what the Trojans have come to expect over the last couple of seasons. Over the last two years, the USC defense has been practically abysmal. In 2023, the defense finished 116th in the FBS in total defense, giving up an average of 432.8 yards per game. Their scoring defense ranked even lower at 118, yielding an average of 34.38 points allowed per game.

It's still just spring and the offense is not yet using anything more than a vanilla game-plan, but the change appears palpable in their attack of the ball on Saturday.

“They make you earn it this year," Moss said of the secondary after the game.

After notching that first pass breakup, Nicholson hauled in the first interception of the day when he picked off Maiava. Freshmen Marcelles Williams and Maliki Crawford also snatched passes from the quarterbacks, and Prophet Brown reigned in the highlight of the day taking a pick to the house for six after a deflected pass from Moss.

“The players are really buying in, stepping up and playing for one another," Brown said. "We’re being put in a position to make these plays and have the freedom to go out there and play fast. That’s really important, especially in the secondary.” 

Largely through roster additions and a new coaching staff led by defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, the Trojans defense looked revamped. With impressive freshmen like Williams and Crawford, along with transfers such as Nicholson and Kamari Ramsey, this secondary is stacked and also well-coached under Lynn.

"It's plays that good defenses and good secondary players make, and we made most of them ... We made plays on the ball," head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game. "We didn't really bust much the entire day. It's a well-coached group. We have two of the best guys in the business that are coaching those guys, and when you have that, you see the results of it."

For a team that has grown used to playing through its offense to have a chance at winning, the defense looked ready to carry their weight on Saturday. They are no longer trying to survive, but able to attack the ball and keep up with receivers. The defense believes they have created a standard, and know this is what they can do from here on out.

“That’s the standard," safety Kamari Ramsey said. "That’s we got to do as a defense, take the ball away, create turnovers.

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