The Ripple Effect Of Washington Commanders Hiring Eric Henderson From USC

USC defensive line coach Eric Henderson is heading back to the NFL, to become the Washington Commanders defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator. What kind of impact will Henderson's departure have on the Trojans program?

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC is losing defensive line coach Eric Henderson to the NFL. CBS Sports reported on Wednesday that the Trojans coach has been hired by the Washington Commanders.

Henderson spent the past two seasons on the Trojans staff. Before he moved to the college ranks, Henderson was the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach for a combined five seasons. He won Super Bowl LVI in 2021 and coached three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald with the Rams.

Recruiting Impact of Losing Eric Henderson

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Henderson had been away from the college game for nine seasons when he joined the USC staff two years ago, but he quickly established himself as one of the elite recruiters in the sport. 

Jahkeem Stewart was a highly touted prospect in the 2025 class. Several schools were in play for the New Orleans native such as in-state LSU, Oregon and Ohio State but Henderson was able to bring him out west. Henderson is also a New Orleans native and has strong recruiting ties in the south. 

In the 2026 cycle, Henderson was one of the driving forces in the Trojans signing the top-ranked ranked recruiting class. Henderson landed players such as five-star edge Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit according to Rivals, and defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield and four-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and Simote Katoanga.

Henderson was excellent at building relationships with recruits. He was beloved by his position group. They advocated for him to become the next defensive coordinator when D’Anton Lynn took the same role at Penn State. 

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Henderson did serve as the defensive coordinator for the bowl game but USC ultimately decided to hire former longtime TCU coach Gary Patterson last month. 

Recruiting defensive line will continue to be a point of emphasis for the Trojans in future classes. Losing Henderson is a massive hit to their ability to land the premier recruits on the interior of the defensive front, at least at the moment.

Interior Defensive Line Outlook

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) celebrates after a sack as center judge referee Amanda Sauer watches against the Missouri State Bears in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jide Abasiri was a part-time starter last season. The sophomore finished third on the team in sacks. Abasiri is a freak in the weight room, and it has shown up in flashes on the field by winning reps because of his shear power. The next step is him becoming a more consistent player as an upperclassman. 

Stewart became a frequent visitor in Big Ten backfields and ranked second on the team in tackles for loss. He earned Freshman All-American honors, even though he played the entry season with a stress fracture in his foot. Expectations are high for the former for Stewart heading into year two.

Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren has started every game for the last two seasons. He was the only player the Trojans added on the interior of it’s defensive line during the singular transfer portal window. 

Floyd Boucard was a key rotational player during his freshman season in 2025. Winfield is powerful and quick. He and Topui should have a role from day one. Redshirt sophomore Brendan Cho and redshirt freshman Cash Jacobsen will compete for playing time. 

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, center, runs on to the field for the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Southern Cal also added four-star Braeden Jones and three-stars Malik Brooks, Jake Johnson in the 2026 cycle to create depth. Katoanga could end up playing end or tackle because he 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame

It’s a room that Henderson had been assembling the past two years and now it becomes the next coach's responsibility to build into a unit that can be disruptive at a consistent level.