Washington Commanders expected to hire USC DL coach Eric Henderson

The Washington Commanders are expected to hire USC co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson as their next defensive line coach, sources tell On3. Henderson joined the USC staff in 2024, following a five-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive line coach.

During his stretch with the Rams, he won a Super Bowl and mentored Aaron Donald. In the last two seasons with the Trojans, USC’s defense saw significant improvement. USC held opponents to an average of just 24.1 points per game, improving from 34.4 in 2023. The Trojans finished the 2024 season ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.335), compared to ranking No. 106 (0.436) in 2023. 

He’s also proved to be an elite recruiter for USC. Henderson’s pedigree as a defensive line coach helped the Trojans land Rivals No. 1 2026 recruit Luke Wafle. He even brought Donald out to Trojan practices, earning the EDGE rusher’s trust.

In the 2025 cycle, he helped USC land top-50 defensive line recruit Jahkeem Stewart. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive tackle earned FWAA Freshman All-American honors this season under Henderson, as he posted 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Eric Henderson has also spent time in his coaching career with Oklahoma State, UTSA and the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s a former three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive end selection at Georgia Tech.