D’Anton Lynn spent only one season as the UCLA Bruins’ defensive coordinator, getting hired away to run the USC Trojans’ defense in December of 2023. His absence is still felt a few seasons later.
Lynn helped the Bruins have the No. 11 defense in 2023 in terms of yards per game. In 2024, the Bruins first season without Lynn, UCLA had the No. 39 total defense. Things looked even worse in the 2025 opener, with UCLA allowing 492 total yards in their 43-10 loss to Utah.
Trojans Wire editor Matt Zemek, wrote about how UCLA’s defense has weakened since Lynn took his expertise to USC, pointing out that UCLA’s recent NFL draft picks were developed by Lynn, not current UCLA defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe.
“D’Anton Lynn coached Carson Schwesinger, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Kain Medrano, and Jay Toia, the four 2025 NFL draft picks from the UCLA defense who subsequently made 53-man opening day rosters. Lynn’s developmental excellence set the table for those four players to thrive in 2024. Now, in 2025, DeShaun Foster lacks both Lynn and his four defensive studs. The holes in UCLA’s defense were numerous and gaping against Utah.
D’Anton Lynn is helping USC now, but his absence is keenly felt at UCLA. USC fans are sitting back, cracking open a cold one, and munching on popcorn.” Zemek wrote.
The only way for UCLA to dispel this narrative is to get better results on the defensive side of the ball. The Bruins will have a chance to defeat Lynn firsthand with the season finale matchup against the Trojans.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Will UCLA’s defense rebound or are Bruins feeling the effects of D’Anton Lynn’s departure?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
