Shaun Nua discusses the USC defensive front, standouts to this point in spring ball
The USC defensive line will be a focal point this season as the Trojans look for a dramatic improvement on that side of the ball under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The one defensive coach who will have a true sense of just what that turnaround will look like is defensive ends coach Shaun Nua, the only holdover from the 2023 USC defensive staff.
Nua is sharing defensive line duties with Eric Henderson, a splashy hire for Lincoln Riley, who was able to pull Henderson away from the Los Angeles Rams. Expectations are high that those two will turn the front four into a strength of this team. The Trojans return plenty of talent up front, starting with Bear Alexander and Jamil Muhammad, who both played a lot last season in their first at USC. USC added veterans Isaiah Raikes and Nate Clifton via the transfer portal and bring back a ton of young talent in Anthony Lucas, Braylan Shelby, Elijah Hughes, Sam Greene and others.
The defensive line should look different this season and that’s evident in the weight added by the returners and the size of the incoming transfers and freshmen. Nua said following Thursday’s spring ball practice that “the principles are all the same” between last season and this in terms of playing hard and playing right. But there are definitely a few differences.
“The structure and the design and the process of going about it are different,” Nua said, adding the organization of the defense is different as well. “The application of how it’s been interpreted to the players, it’s just a different way of doing things.”
Offensive line coach Josh Hensen said earlier this spring that the defensive line is playing more through the offensive linemen than trying to go around them. Nua backed that up on Thursday.
“We’re going through people. We’re going to go through them, through their heart and try to get in the backfield through them,” Nua said before a pause and a slight smile. “We also have stuff where we go around them, so it’s a fun defense and it’s a fun progress right now. We’re very excited and I can’t wait to see these guys perform at a high level.”
Before getting into a breakdown of what he’s seen from the USC defensive linemen this spring, Nua also offered some high praise for the two new coaches with whom he’s working closely.
Henderson’s hiring didn’t seem to make headlines across the country when he was announced by USC, but with the way he’s hit the recruiting trail and the way the Trojan players talk about him, he’s already becoming a national name.
“You talk about one of the most humble coaches out there, most accomplished coaches out there,” Nua said. “We come out here and it’s been a blessing for me to work with him because he has a great quality of he cares really well about what he does. He has a huge pride about himself in everything he does, and that includes, especially the relationship with not only us, the coaches, but the players.”
Lynn came to USC with just one season’s worth of experience as a college defensive coordinator. But every mention of him this spring has centered around the same idea. Lynn has a clear vision for his defense and a complete understanding of how to implement it.
“He knows exactly what he wants,” Nua said. “He’s aware of every situation, the strengths, the weaknesses of our players. He does a great job of putting everyone in a position where they can perform at their best.”
Nua discusses several of USC’s linemen
When asked about the younger players coming back, Nua didn’t hesitate to list Hughes as a spring standout. He said Hughes “is stepping up and doing a good job.” Shelby also got a shout from Nua.
“Just the experience alone is helping him to play fast,” Nua said of Shelby. “Instincts are kicking in.”
Lucas created a ton of buzz and excitement last spring after coming over as a transfer from Texas A&M. But he made minimal impact during the fall and wasn’t on the field as much as expected after a strong spring. Nua chalked some of that up to inexperience, saying Lucas was still just a sophomore last season.
“He was still a guy learning the game and he had guys like Solomon Byrd in front of him,” Nua said. “He’s really taking it to heart that he didn’t do as well last year, which is great. He’s a hungry beast right now.”
Nua called Lucas probably the most versatile of the defensive linemen, able to line up at any position. But several linemen are working multiple spots this spring because the defense calls for versatility in how those big guys are utilized up front.
USC landed four key defensive linemen in this recruiting class and at the top of the list is defensive end Kameryn Fountain.
“Raw ability,” Nua said. “He has all the talent in the world, the size, it’s there. We’ve just got to tighten up his fundamentals and knowledge of the game. But he has everything. If you want to build a D-lineman, that’s exactly how you would build him.”
Both Raikes and Clifton are expected to contribute heavily this season. USC brought in several transfer defensive linemen last year in Kyon Barrs and Jack Sullivan who made limited impacts. That would be a significant blow if the same thing happens with the transfers this fall.
Nua pointed to Clifton as one of the guys having a “very, very good camp” and that his experience, knowledge of the game and versatility stand out.
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