Because the common season has formally wrapped, finish of the season awards and MVPs are formally in pursuit, and the awards are overflowing for USC Trojans huge receiver Makai Lemon.
Lemon has been one of the constant and proficient items part of the offense for the No. 16 Trojans this season. His limitless spotlight reel of contested catches and his numbers show that he developed into among the finest receivers in all of faculty soccer.
As anticipated, Lemon cracked the awards with a spot on Sports activities Illustrated’s All-American record, alongside fellow Biletnikoff Finalist, Ohio State huge receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Even when Lemon is among the most explosive pass-catchers in faculty soccer, he follows an elite lineage of huge receivers at USC, oftentimes nicknamed, “Extensive Receiver U.”
USC’s “Extensive Receiver U” Nickname Pairs Nicely With Lemon
Lemon’s media All-American choice reinforces the thought of USC’s lengthy improvement of proficient huge receivers stays one of many strongest within the nation.
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Trojan followers know very nicely that USC has produced a number of the most elite collegiate huge receivers who went on to turn out to be NFL greats. Presently within the league, USC boasts Atlanta Falcons Drake London, Detroit Lions Amon-Ra St. Brown, Indianapolis Colts Michael Pittman Jr. and Minnesota Vikings Jordan Addison.
Now, with a receiver who performs the half together with his athleticism and playmaking skills, Lemon has an opportunity be part of the A-list USC receiver group.
Makai Lemon isn’t the largest dude. Catch radius is fairly small. But when it’s within the radius, it’s his. That issues, too
Child’s a stud pic.twitter.com/DsxO3IDwgw
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) November 15, 2025
SI analysts Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer made their case with Lemon as certainly one of their All-American selections, noting it was his jaw-dropping receptions that makes him stand out.
“There was no scarcity of highlight-reel catches for Lemon, who had a knack for coming down with the ball even when it wasn’t throughout the typical catch radius for somebody his measurement. He matched Smith with 11 touchdowns, led all Energy 4 convention gamers in receiving yards and took the Trojans’ offense to a different stage in 2025,” Fischer and Forde wrote.
As a Biletnikoff Finalist, Lemon is head-to-head with one other family identify within the huge receiver group, Smith. Whereas Smith has been dominant underneath Ohio State coach Ryan Day virtually all yr, the numbers and the tape nonetheless put Lemon on prime.
By way of 12 video games, Lemon recorded 1,156 receiving yards, 11 receiving touchdowns, two speeding and one passing. Even for his measurement at 5-11, Lemon could make any over-thrown or under-thrown cross look simply catchable.
Setting The Commonplace For 2026 Recruiting Class Receivers
Anybody that has watched Lemon this yr is aware of he has a transparent path to being a primary spherical NFL Draft choose come April, and now he leaves behind a adorned USC legacy that paves the best way for the youthful receivers coming in.
The Trojans No. 1 2026 recruiting class options a number of the nation’s finest recruits from all throughout the nation, and even in USC’s yard of Southern California. As for receivers, the Trojans signed four-stars Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Ethan “Boobie” Feaster, Trent Mosley and Luc Weaver, in addition to three-stars Roderick Tezeno and Ja’Myron Baker.
USC’s loaded receiver class becoming a member of huge receiver Tanook Hines, and probably Ja’Kobi Lane if he decides to return to USC, may very nicely be one of the highly effective in all of faculty soccer.
The Trojans now flip to the Alamo Bowl, the place they face Huge 12 opponent TCU Horned Frogs on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m.
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