UCLA and USC were the first conference newcomers to attend Big Ten Media Days, with Oregon and Washington stepping up to the podium tomorrow. While there is excitement around new Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster, most eyes were on the Trojans’ Lincoln Riley, who is coming off a “disappointing” 8-5 campaign.
What were the three biggest takeaways from his first Big Ten Media Days experience?
Three Takeaways From Lincoln Riley Talking at Big Ten Media Days
1) High Expectations for New Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn
There’s no debating that USC’s defense was its primary issue last season. Last November, Riley fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch after the team allowed more than 28 points in eight games. The Trojans ranked T-123rd nationally in points per game (34.9) and yards per game allowed (438.8), so the bar was set as low as it could go.
To right the practically sunken ship, Riley hired UCLA DC D’Anton Lynn in the same role, North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz as the linebackers coach, Houston DC/assistant HC Doug Belk as the defensive backs coach, and Los Angeles Rams defensive line/run game coordinator Eric Henderson as the co-DC.
At Big Ten Media Days, Riley shined a light on his new defensive staff:
“We’ve welcomed the addition of D’Anton Lynn, along with a new defensive staff that we think makes it one of the preeminent defensive staffs in the country, and certainly can feel that impact on our field and within our program. Certainly, that was obviously a big change and a big focus point for us this offseason.
“Honestly, my first call with D’Anton was probably a 30-minute call one night, and I hung up the phone, and I knew deep down in my gut like that’s the guy we’re going to hire. I just thought he fit what we want to do from a team and a culture standpoint.
“He obviously authored the biggest turnaround in defensive college football last year, and I got to see a front-row seat at that. Playing UCLA, obviously, like we do every year, I thought the changes he made there were staggering.”
How staggering? In Lynn’s first year ever as a DC, UCLA went from No. 87 (399.8) in the FBS in yards per game allowed to No. 11 (299.0). But the numbers don’t stop there.
The Bruins ranked No. 1 in rushing defense (69.6 YPG), No. 2 in yards per rush allowed (2.33), No. 3 in sacks per game (3.42), and No. 4 in tackles for loss (99). They only conceded multiple touchdowns in five games and held nine opponents to 20 points or less all season.
2) All Abourd the Zachariah Branch Hype Train
In 2023, former five-star recruit Zachariah Branch became USC’s first-ever true freshman First-Team All-American. However, the No. 1 WR in the 2023 class didn’t do so at his designated position; he did so as a returner, taking 16 punts for 332 yards and one touchdown and 24 kickoffs for 442 yards and a score.
On offense, Branch only posted 320 yards and two TDs on 31 receptions, adding another 70 yards and a die past the pylon on nine carries. Riley expects more from his explosive playmaker this season and put the conference on notice:
“Zachariah Branch had really an exciting freshman year for us. He’s an explosive player. Even when you’re used to being on the college football field and really talented players are somewhat the norm, he’s a little bit different in the way he moves and also his strength.
“He was one of the most dominant returners in the country, if not the most. We’ve really challenged him this year to become a bigger part and a more consistent part of our offense. I think that is really going to be part of his evolution.”
3) College Football Hall of Fame Is Incomplete Without Mike Leach
Legendary coach Mike Leach, who passed away in 2022 at 61 years old, is technically not eligible for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, but Riley used part of his introductory statement at Media Days to press the issue.
“Mike Leach meant a lot to my career, instrumental in my upbringing. I know there’s been a lot of debate and talk about him belonging in the College Football Hall of Fame, and certainly want to voice my support for that happening here on this stage. That’s something that’s very important to me.
“He changed the game and changed a lot of people’s lives, mine included, in the process of it. I know there’s technicalities and rules that have to happen, but I totally agree that the Hall of Fame is simply not complete without Mike Leach being in that, and just certainly wanted to be able to represent that here on this stage.”
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The Hall has a 60% career win percentage threshold for coaches to be eligible, which Leach was just four percentage points short of with a 158-107 record.
The longtime head coach gave Riley his first coaching gig at Texas Tech. Riley walked on as a QB with the Red Raiders in 2002 but moved into a student assistant role his final three undergraduate years. He then served as a graduate assistant in 2006 before working with the WRs from 2007 to 2009.
Riley spent four years as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina before he embarked on his meteoric rise at Oklahoma. Leach has many disciples — whether it be assistants turned head coaches or players turned coordinators — but Riley is certainly near the top of the list.
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