For the 2022 season (Lincoln Riley's first with the university), USC ranked
106 in total defense.
In 2023, with a year's worth of the defensive scheme under their belt (and universally-acknowledged better players on the roster), they finished
116 in total defense.
As the team transitions to the Big-10 Conference next season, they would seem to be (and likely are) woefully unprepared on the defensive side of the ball.
With that said, I haven't heard anyone argue that USC doesn't have better than 116th ranked defensive talent on their roster.
If Henderson were thought to be an NFL-caliber DC, then (at worst) he should be able to turn USC's defense around (say top-50) within a couple of seasons.
A top-50 defense paired with Caleb Williams would've likely landed USC in the CFB Playoffs the past two seasons. A top-50 defense moving forward likely garners enough attention for him to become a HC in the college ranks - which may be what he's interested in in the first place.
