While Penn State Nittany Lions’ newly-hired head coach, Matt Campbell, continues to fill out his coaching staff for the 2026 season, one position remains a major question mark for the struggling program.

Shortly after Campbell was named the next head coach, Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles quickly jumped ship and became the newest coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers. The move now leaves a complete void at the position for Campbell.

One name that has floated around in rumors to fill the position is former Penn State defender and USC Trojans’ defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn after two solid seasons with the program.

Following the conclusion of his college career with the Nittany Lions, Lynn spent eight years at the NFL level, with his most notable role being the safeties coach for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 and 2022. The up-and-coming coach would eventually get his first shot as a defensive coordinator in 2023, as the UCLA Bruins took a chance on Lynn.

The move back to the college level would pay off, as he would spend just one season with UCLA before joining USC’s staff in 2024. Lynn played a huge role in the program’s defensive efforts this season, as his unit allowed an average of 22.4 points per game and 203.3 passing yards per game.

When asked about the rumors surrounding Lynn returning to Penn State, USC head coach Lincoln Riley did not give a clear answer to his status, but recognized that this is part of college football.

"This is just what happens this time of year, especially when you have a really good staff and are doing a lot of really positive things,” Riley stated. “This is part of what happens, and so we’ve seen it, we understand it. We’ll obviously see how it plays out. We put ourselves in a position here where we’re obviously excited about the opportunity to keep continuity and continue to build, but we’re also honestly at that point where, not just that position, any position, that if there is turnover, these are really coveted jobs."

In addition to comments regarding the status, Riley reiterated how crazy the coaching carousel can be after the season by bringing up Knowles and his recent departure from the program.

"Last year, Penn State hired the D-coordinator from the team that won the national championship, right? These things happen,” Riley said. "Obviously, D’Anton’s done a really good job here, and we’ll see how it plays out."