USC coach Lincoln Riley addresses rumors surrounding D’Anton Lynn

LOS ANGELES — USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has once again found himself in the college football news cycle after speculation that he would return to UCLA earlier this season.

Penn State is rumored to be targeting Lynn as its new defensive coordinator as new head coach Matt Campbell builds his staff, according to reports.

“We’ve seen it. We understand it,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said Friday. “We’ll see how it plays out. We’re obviously excited about the opportunity to keep continuity and continue to build, but we’re also honestly at that point where not just that position – any position – that if there is turnover, these are really coveted jobs.”

Lynn was originally scheduled to speak with reporters on Thursday, but USC canceled media availability on that day. He was seen walking out of practice on Friday.

If Lynn ends up at Penn State, it would be a return to his alma mater. He played cornerback for the Nittany Lions from 2008 to 2011 and was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention player.

USC is set to play TCU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30 in San Antonio, and Riley said the team is prepared to operate at a high standard regardless of any changes that might take place.

“There’s contingency plans for players, coaches, staff, everyone,” Riley said, “because the way our sport is set up right now, so much can and does change.

“We’ve kind of been through this now for a few years. You can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen. This time of year, you have to be ready to adjust. It’s just the nature of the game right now.”

The Trojans have announced the re-signing of multiple defensive players, including defensive ends Braylan Shelby, Jahkeem Stewart, and Kam Crawford as well as safety Christian Pierce and cornerback Marcellus Williams.

Among the players who have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal are linebacker Matai Tagoa’i and defensive lineman Devan Thompkins.

Shelby told reporters on Friday that despite the constant movement of players, personnel and coaches that this time of year brings, he’s still able to find his focus.

“The main thing is the TCU game,” he said. “Keeping that the main thing is easy, man. We came here to play football, and at the end of the day, we get to go out and play football.

“There’s things that happen on the outside, but it’s out of your control. So if I can’t control that, why focus on that? I can focus on football and control that.”

MAIAVA READY FOR RETURN

Quarterback Jayden Maiava was one of the biggest re-signings of December, and he told reporters that he’s already seen improvements in his game since the Trojans’ regular-season finale against UCLA on Nov. 29.

“There’s areas where I sharpened a little bit,” Maiava said. “You just start to reflect on things we could be better for each other and buy into the team more. The preparation stays the same. We just come out here, go to work every single day.”

Only one of USC’s starting receivers will play in the Alamo Bowl now that Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Tanook Hines will take the field once more as a true freshman after making 28 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns.

“Those two set the standard, really, for the rest of the guys in that room, which is why they’re really special,” Maiava said of Lane and Lemon. “Having those guys there really set the intensity level and what it takes to be a Trojan and to live up to the Trojan standard.”