USC defense ready to take next step and be among best units in college football

When revising the season of USC from last year, the defense certainly had areas that needed improvement. What needs to be acknowledged, though, from then to this point is that the unit under coach D'Anton Lynn is significantly better.

A lot of the focus is appropriately on the defensive line. This is something that coach Lincoln Riley has made a point of emphasis. From that standpoint alone, the Trojans will be able to match up better against teams in the Big Ten. This team will not be pushed around and will be able to force the opposing offense to execute a couple more times over the course of the game in short-yardage situations, versus giving up what looked like a somewhat easy conversion for a first down during 2024.

Being able to match in the trenches is something that is absolutely needed in the Big Ten. Now, USC has adjusted and looks to be a formidable force in terms of being able to stop the run and put pressure on the quarterback.

Important leaders on USC defense

Looking at the other areas of the defense, people like Kamari Ramsey and Eric Gentry could very well end up playing the best of their respective positions. Coach Lynn having these two to lean on at safety and linebacker is an incredibly useful asset for the defensive coordinator during his second year in Troy.

For USC fans who have been frustrated in the past by that unit in particular, the tides are shifting.

How the metrics end up looking and how highly ranked the Trojan defense is, of course, remains to be seen. It can be expected, though, for that side of the ball to continue to show progress and to even potentially be up there among some of the top defenses in the nation.