USC head coach Lincoln Riley gives encouraging update on his defense

There is no doubt that the priority for the USC football program must be getting the defensive side of the football on par with the offensive side. After all, the Trojans ranked just 116th nationally in total defense a season ago.

Sweeping changes on that side of the football, including the hiring of new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, have been made. Now, Trojan fans wait to see if improvements will follow.

The good news is that head coach Lincoln Riley had a positive update on his defense following the program's first scrimmage of fall camp.

"The defense," Riley said Tuesday when asked about who stood out from the first scrimmage. "The defense dominated the scrimmage. Offense got a couple of scores late but...if it was a game, the first three, three-and-a-half quarters were dominated by the defense."

Of course, the rub with fall camp and any intrasquad scrimmage is that when one part of the team succeeds, the other struggles. Thus, it obviously wasn't a great day for a USC offense that is breaking in a new quarterback, several young wide receivers, and a new offensive line.

However, it is safe to assume that most Trojan fans would prefer to hear positive updates on the defense after seeing that side of the ball be the program's downfall for far too long. Additionally, there is more confidence in Riley's ability to field an elite offense than there is in his ability to figure out how to construct a championship-caliber defense. Thus, any good news about the defense should be like manna from heaven for USC fans.

"Played really good red zone defense," Riley said. "Put the offense in a bunch of third-and-longs so I thought we collectively played well there.

"We didn't give up many explosive plays, played pretty penalty-free. We were excited about the way that we tackled for it being...the first full live scrimmage. We were excited about the way that we tackled so a lot of bright spots there."

One player that many USC fans expect to be a huge component of the 2024 defense is tackle Bear Alexander. Last year, he racked up 48 tackles (6.8 for loss) and this year, the belief is that he can take another step forward.

Riley was asked about how important it is that Alexander be a consistent force this year. He did not mince any words.

"It's really important," he said. "He missed the majority of spring so this camp is really, really important for him to get going in terms of what we're doing defensively...He's shown he's got the ability to be an explosive player but he's also been a player whose inconsistencies have hurt us, like any other player's inconsistencies are going to hurt you.

"So whether it's effort all the time, whether it's being in the correct gap playing blocks the way we want to play them, aligning correctly, it's like all those little things where you step up from being a guy that flashes to a guy that I term being truly a great player."

Only time will tell if the light fully comes on for Alexander and he becomes one of the nation's most dominant players on the defensive line. What's more, we won't know if this year's USC defense has taken a step forward until September 1st in Las Vegas. However, to hear Riley say that his defense dominated the first scrimmage should be music to every USC fan's ears.