The UCLA football program will see its third defensive coordinator in as many years after coach Chip Kelly hired D’Anton Lynn away from the Baltimore Ravens in late February.

Lynn, the son of former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, bucks the trend of Kelly’s previous two hires, who were over the age of 55, and will be asked to lead a defense that allowed 403.3 yards and 29 points per game last season.

“He’s well-rounded in every facet,” Kelly said. “That’s one thing about him is he’s got a wealth of experience after spending the last 12 years in the NFL.”

Lynn, who oversaw the defensive backs and safeties the past two years in Baltimore, has never coached at the college level. The three-time All-Big Ten defensive back from Penn State joined the NFL coaching ranks after a short stint as a player and is now at the helm of a veteran staff that features former defensive coordinators Ken Norton Jr. and Brian Norwood.

“The way offenses attack defenses are a little different with the tempo, with the wide hashes, different formations and different splits,” Lynn, 33, said about the adjustment from professional to college football. “There are some things you have to tweak down because of spacing, but the coaching staff has helped me out a lot with that.”

The UCLA players have expressed confidence in Lynn during various media availabilities similar to what Kelly said NFL coaches, such as John Harbaugh and Bill O’Brien, had said while UCLA was in the process of hiring Lynn.

“Coach Lynn emphasizes maximum effort every day,” Bruins inside linebacker Darius Muasau said. “Effort is something the players can control themselves and when all 11 players give a maximum effort there’s no way you can lose.”

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER / DEFENSIVE LINE

The Bruins return a starting defensive line that remained fairly healthy and most of them played in all 13 games last season. The biggest change to the defensive front was Chip Kelly’s decision to merge the defensive line and outside linebackers together under Ikaika Malloe, following Chad Kauha’aha’a’s departure as defensive line coach in Janaury.

Edge rusher Laiatu Latu is the most notable member of the Bruins’ defense. After sitting out two years at Washington and thinking a neck injury has ended his career, Latu enjoyed a breakout in his first year at UCLA last season.

The preseason All-Pac-12 first-team defender finished second in the conference and eighth in the nation with 10½ sacks while playing against some of the country’s top quarterbacks. The Bruins’ schedule isn’t littered with the same proven talent at quarterback, but Latu still eyes a lofty goal of 15 sacks (the UCLA record is 16½ set by Dave Ball in 2003).

Gabriel and Grayson Murphy also return to complement Latu on a defensive line that’s regarded as one of the best in the nation. The twins combined for 64 total tackles and 6.5 sacks last season.

Defensive tackle Jay Toia could also see a significant jump this season as a third-year Bruin, after producing 30 total tackles, a sack and forced a fumble.

Gary Smith III will also start at defensive tackle. He played in nine games last season, recording 18 tackles and a sack.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Norton returns for his second year as a position coach for a group that returns experience and fresh faces.

Muasau returns as the “quarterback of the defense.” He was voted as an all-conference first-team defensive player after finishing with 91 total tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a recovery.

“We want to create turnovers,” Muasau said. “We want to give the ball back to the offense, so we will get some picks, some forced fumbles and jump on any balls on the ground. That’s what I want to keep implementing into my game.”

The addition of Cal transfer Oluwafemi Oladejo might have slipped under the radar at the conference and national levels, but the 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior has looked impressive throughout camp and is sharing first-team reps.

Kelly and his staff jumped at the chance to recruit Oladejo out of the transfer portal the moment he entered it. There was no need to watch film on him either after Oladejo’s 17-tackle performance in the conference finale against the Bruins last season.

Kain Medrano will begin his fifth year with the program and second year as the season-opening starter at linebacker. Medrano suffered an injury early last season and JonJon Vaughns stepped up in Medrano’s absence and started the final 11 games. He finished fourth in tackles last season with 53 and his two interceptions tied him for second on the team along with Muasau.

Vaughns missed most of spring football camp while playing for the UCLA baseball team and will continue to work himself back into the rotation as a reserve.

Ale Kaho, Jalen Woods and Choé Bryant-Strother will also provide depth at the position.

SECONDARY

The unit provides the biggest question mark on defense this season after the Bruins allowed 273 passing yards per game and 25 passing touchdowns.

Kelly split the unit in two and hired Kodi Whitfield to coach the cornerbacks. Norwood is working exclusively with the safeties.

Veteran Kenny Churchwell III and redshirt freshman Kamari Ramsey will fill the void left by Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III, who started all 13 games last season.

Ramsey beat Will Nimmo Jr. and Bowling Green transfer Jordan Anderson for the starting role.

Devin Kirkwood returns for his junior season as the top cornerback for the Bruins’ defense. He worked his way into a starting role last season after serving as a reserve in 2021. Kirkwood started the first nine games before a wrist injury ended his season in 2022.

Kirkwood declared during training camp that he’s fully healthy and will be ready for the start of the season.

Cornerback John Humphrey started eight of the 13 games he played last season. He had 39 total tackles, including a tackle for a loss.

Jaylin Davies returns experienced depth, having started the final four games last season that Kirkwood missed. Davies led the Bruins with three interceptions.

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