Last February, UCLA quietly offered $1 million to lure D’Anton Lynn from the Baltimore Ravens to become its defensive coordinator.
Six weeks into the 2023 season, it is clear that athletic director Martin Jarmond actually found himself a bargain. Lynn is worth double that — the same amount that Ohio State’s Jim Knowles, the country’s highest paid defensive coordinator, brings in.
After just eight months directing what has routinely been one of the country’s most dysfunctional units, Lynn has transformed UCLA into one of the top defenses in the country. His miracle work thus far mirrors the immediate transformation Lincoln Riley executed for USC’s offense last season — only Lynn didn’t bring with him the defensive equivalent of a projected No.