Among all the roster, the UCLA defense has been hit hardest this offseason. They lost a number of key players to the NFL, including Laiatu Latu and the Murphy twins. Moreover, they saw defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn leave for the same job at USC.
Athlon Sports examined the UCLA Bruins defense for this season as D’Anton Lynn left for USC and Ikaika Malloe became the new defensive coordinator.
As tough as it was to lose Kelly, the bigger blow to UCLA this offseason may have been defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s move across town to USC. Lynn led a remarkable turnaround in 2023, turning a middling group into one of the best defenses on the West Coast.
Ikaika Malloe was promoted from DL coach to coordinator. While the system will mostly remain in place, the new staff will have to deal with the loss of key contributors like All-American Laiatu Latu, star linebacker Darius Muasau and the bulk of the secondary. The return of linebacker Kain Medrano and cornerback Devin Kirkwood helps, but there are likely to be more questions than answers until conference play begins.
Yes, with all of the changes at UCLA on the defense, there are plenty of questions and concerns, especially against high-powered offenses in the Big Ten. Only time will tell.