Makai Lemon continues to make his case for the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football. Even on a wet and rainy day against a tough Iowa defense, Lemon produced, catching 10 passes on 11 targets for 153 yards and a score.
USC entered the third quarter in a hole, trailing 21-10 in what appeared to be heading towards a grind-it-out finish, and then their star receiver took over, keeping his team’s title hopes alive.
“We just had to go out there and put it all on the line, and that is what we did today,” said Lemon.
Coming out of the half, the Trojans immediately peppered their best player with targets. Jayden Maiava found Lemon for gains of 35, 26, 24, and a 12-yard touchdown on their first two drives, helping take control of the game’s momentum.
“Number 6 is as good as I have seen. I mean, going back 20-plus years, I don’t know if anyone has more impact on the game. He’s a really outstanding player,” said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.
With the 26-21 win over Iowa, the Trojans find themselves in a situation where winning both of the remaining two games on their schedule could get them a spot in the College Football Playoff, and much of their success this season can be attributed to Lemon’s standout campaign.
“You have to step up against a good defense like that and have to go make some of those types of competitive plays,” said USC head coach Lincoln Riley. “We feel like he is an advantage for us every time we step on the field.”
Lemon has been on a tear this season. His 1,090 receiving yards rank third in the nation and lead all Power Four pass catchers. He has gone over 150 yards in a game on four separate occasions, and has 21 receptions for 314 yards over the past two weeks alone.
The standout junior is not the biggest player at his position, but he has some of the best hands and route-running abilities in the country. He creates separation at an elite rate while also having the ball skills to make contested catches in tight windows when defenses decide to double-team him. He attacks the ball with his hands and runs hard after the catch.
On top of his pure wide receiver skills, he is simply a great all-around player. He also returns kicks and is an excellent blocker downfield. Against Iowa, he even recovered a fumble, showing off his high motor and instincts. There is not a lot not to love about Lemon as a player.
“He’s a fearless player, always has been ever since I met him when he was a sophomore in high school. He’s always had that fearless quality to him, and that continues to show up to this day. He works hard at his craft, and we all have a lot of confidence in him,” said Riley.
Lemon was viewed as a breakout candidate entering last year, and while he had a solid sophomore season (764 yards and 3 touchdowns), a scary concussion early in the year slightly derailed his overall production. While he had become a known commodity in Southern California’s football circuits, he had yet to fully burst onto the national scene.
The departure of Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Duce Robinson (Florida State), who moved on to become the focal point of new offenses, has opened the door for Lemon to become the true alpha in the room.
Ja’Kobi Lane remains, and is a perfect complement player to Lemon’s skillset, but what was once a very crowded wide receiver room has turned into a situation where Lemon and Lane never leave the field and can fully show off their talent.
The offense relies heavily upon Lemon, and now that all eyes are on him, he is proving just how valuable he can be.
Lemon is not Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, or his Biletnikoff Award hopeful counterpart, Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State; he lacks the size to consistently dominate on the outside like an alpha X receiver.
But he can do lots of other things at a higher level than those types of receivers. Lemon profiles more as a Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Emeka Egbuka type, who can line up all over the field, causing headaches for defenses.
You can debate all day long which style of receiver is preferred or more dominant, but this year Makai Lemon has been more of a game wrecker than Jeremiah Smith.
It has become a two-man race for the Biletnikoff. It is hard to argue against Smith being the more intriguing NFL prospect and having the better team, but Lemon has been the better, more impactful college player this year. Without his contributions, the Trojans would not be anywhere near the College Football Playoff, while Smith’s team might be good enough to get there even without him.
Cover Photo: Los Angeles, CA – Nov. 15, 2025 (Jacob Teng / News4UsOnline)
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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