By Alec Nederveld
Lincoln Riley, for all his explosive offenses, has been held back by real success from a lack of a defense. Offensive coordinators circled the USC game for a chance to put up big numbers vs. a typically ranked team. The Trojans in 2023 allowed 34.4 ppg, good for 121st of 133 teams. Luckily, they were better at limiting yards, 119th in the country with 432.8 per game.
Credit goes to Riley for the sweeping changes he made on the defensive side of the ball. He fired longtime DC Alex Grinch after a particularly embarrassing 52-42 home loss to Washington. His unit gave up season highs for the Huskies with 316 rushing yards, 7.5 ypc, and five rushing touchdowns.
He hit a home run with his DC hire, landing former UCLA DC D’Anton Lynn. In one season, Lynn turned his unit around, pushing the Bruins from an offensive to a defensive-minded team. UCLA went from allowing 29.0 to 18.4 PPG, 403.8 to a Pac-12-leading 301.5 YPG, and forced six more turnovers.
Assistant coach hires have been just as crucial. North Dakota State HC Matt Entz was hired to be the new Assistant HC for Defense/LB coach. Former Houston DC Doug Belk is another huge pickup, and he will coach the secondary.
These guys will crucially help on the field for 2024, but none have been as impactful for the future as Eric Henderson. A man of many hats, he will be a Co-DC, Run Game Coordinator, and DL Coach for the Trojans. Henderson was the DL Coach with the Los Angeles Rams from 2019-2023, adding Run Game Coordinator duties in 2021. Also known as Coach Henny, he won a Super Bowl in 2022 and helped coach future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, who speaks glowingly of him.
practice 3 guest @AaronDonald97 with high praise for @Coach_Henny ⚔️ #DAWGWORK https://t.co/jPVen5Bv48
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) March 23, 2024
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Coach Henny is the primary recruiter for the first of five USC commits on March 24th, 2024. From Manchester, GA (Manchester), DL Justus Terry is a huge pickup, arguably the biggest of Riley’s USC career. USC flipped him from Georgia with Henderson being one of the key factors. Terry is 6’5″, 275-pounds, and a top-ten prospect nationally per the 247 Sports Composite.
In addition, Coach Henny is the primary recruiter for Isaiah Gibson, a top-100 EDGE from Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins). While not committed like Terry, the 6’4″, 245-pound pass rusher was a key target and had multiple Crystal Balls to Georgia. Alongside QB Julian Lewis, who committed back in August 2023, USC has three of Georgia’s top 12 players, per the 247 Sports Composite.
Moving down to the Sunshine State, Riley and Co. poached Hylton Stubbs from Jacksonville, FL (Mandarin) in Gator territory. The 6’1″, 180-pound S had offers from 11 SEC schools and all four Florida P5 schools. Stubbs is a top-60 player and another great pull.
2026 CB Dominick Kelly also committed, the fourth for USC in 2026. The 6’1″, 175-pound player from Tampa, FL (Robinson) had 21 offers, including from Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Tennessee.
Finally, USC received a commitment from Austin, TX (Lake Travis) EDGE Gus Cordova. Cordova was in the news a few months ago for the wrong reasons, stemming from putting peanuts in an allergic teammate’s locker, threatening his life. The 6’5″, 250-pounder is talented, with 40 total offers, but the ethics of recruiting him certainly are questionable. I hope he’s learned his lesson and becomes a better man.
Four of the five recruits committed immediately after a March 23rd visit, seeing Donald and a spring practice. Stubbs was there shortly before on the 19th, meeting with Trojan legends Ronnie Lott and Caleb Williams. Bringing those guys back is reminiscent of the Pete Caroll days and a fantastic recruiting pitch that few schools can match.
After the surge of commitments, USC has the 16th-best 2025 class. They’re also ranked fourth in 2026. These players won’t make an impact for a couple of years, but the emphasis Riley and his staff have placed on recruiting defense is huge. In the meantime, transfers such as Oregon State LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and UCLA S Kamari Ramsey will make an impact.
USC still has a long way to go defensively, and no Lincoln Riley team will ever be defense-first, but the seeds have been planted. The soil is rich. Now, Riley just needs to make it rain.
