USC Football: D'Anton Lynn "Behind The 8-ball" On The Recruiting Trail

Just a couple of weeks ago, USC recruited UCLA's former defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn for the same position in Lincoln Riley's staff. Recently, some USC players shared their thoughts on the hiring.

In a virtual media availability session, D'Anton Lynn was asked about his recruiting pitch by USC beat writer Connor Morrissette. Lynn gave an honest answer:

"Right now when I'm on the road the main thing I'm really trying to do is just really just start to build a relationship with these guys. You know, I'm behind the 8-ball. There are some kids I was recruiting when I was at UCLA, so now it's just about continuing that relationship.'

Lynn continued. "But for the guys who I have not met yet, I really just want them to get to know me and just try to build a relationship with them as fast as I can."

Since Lynn joined the Trojan staff on December 1, the only player that USC has recruited came via the transfer portal, long snapper Hank Pepper, who transferred from Michigan State. So, while Lynn hasn't exactly jumpstarted the Trojan's recruiting engine, his presense also hasn't hurt it.

Given the relationship-focused nature of recruiting that Lynn elaborated on, the fact that a switch in defensive coordinators for USC has resulted in only a single decommitment should be considered a win. The lone decommitment USC suffered was that of Manheim Township (Lancaster, PA) defensive tackle Deyvid Palepale. Any time coordinators are fired there is a risk of losing recruits, per the relationship-building nature of recruiting. The retention of defensive backs coach Donte Williams (widely considered the Trojan's best recruiter) likely played a factor in cushioning the recruiting hit.

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Trojans!