The USC Trojans built their new defensive coaching staff keeping in mind the woes that the unit dealt with in the 2023 season. Head coach Lincoln Riley made it a point to put together a staff that could rival anyone's in the Big Ten.
He kicked it off by securing D'Anton Lynn as the new DC. Lynn came over from the UCLA Bruins, making his acquisition even better considering the team are the Trojans rivals.
Even more impressive is Riley also brought along Eric Henderson, who previously served as DL coach for the Los Angeles Rams. Henderson will now be the Trojans DL coach and co-DC. Henderson immediately inserted himself with a new motto, "DAWGWORK," which indicates bringing toughness out of his team.
His motto and coaching style have benefited many players, including current Rams DL Kobie Turner.
Turner gave a big shout-out to Henderson, who helped him to secure an AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Nod.
Turner came over to the Rams from Wake Forest and made an instant impact on the Rams. He ended the year with 57 total tackles and 9 sacks. That is massive considering he is a rookie.
The Trojans should be happy they got such an impactful coach in Henderson, especially as he was able to coach up Turner to secure such a massive rookie season.
The hope is that Henderson will be able to do the same with USC's defense, allowing them to become a dual-threat again.
The Big Ten will be full of highly competitive teams, and the Trojans will need to be a top unit in both offense and defense to keep pace with teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and more.
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