USC Football: NFL Colleague Of New Co-DCs Predicts Whether Collab Will Succeed

How Gus Bradley thinks new USC DC-duo will fare.

The USC Trojans opted to hire a tandem of defensive coordinators to replace former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Now, they'll have a duo in D'Anton Lynn and Eric Henderson working to fix the Trojans' defense.

The good news is Lynn and Henderson already have experience working together when the two worked on the Los Angeles Chargers under then-defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. 

Bradley offered his take on the new duo for USC.

Colts DC Gus Bradley, who worked with USC co-DCs D’Anton Lynn and Eric Henderson when both were assistants on the ‘17 Chargers:

“Will it work (at USC)? There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

Inside the beginnings of Lynn + Henderson’s relationship: https://t.co/UoyVhooSuf

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) January 29, 2024

“There is no ego with Eric Henderson,” Bradley said. “And there’s no ego with D’Anton Lynn. So will it work? There’s not a doubt in my mind it will work.”

via 

Luca Evans of The OC Register

Both Henderson and Lynn come into this position with plenty of experience outside of their time with the Chargers. After his stint with the Chargers, Henderson primarily worked with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was a defensive line coach for four years.

Meanwhile, Lynn was most recently the defensive coordinator for rival UCLA, where his defense ranked 10th in the FBS in yards allowed per game. He also had experience as a secondary coach for the Houston Texans and as a safeties coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

Both of these coordinators will be expected to turn around a Trojans' defense that was their kryptonite in 2023. USC's defense ranked 116th in the FBS in yards allowed per game, giving up an average of 432.8 yards per game. Their defense's struggles were a major factor in why the Trojans fell from a 6-0 start to the season to 8-5 by the end of the year. 

With star quarterback Caleb Williams now leaving for the NFL Draft, USC will need to rely on their defense even more if they want a shot at contending in the Big Ten.