Makai Lemon

Last updated
Makai Lemon
2025-0724 Makai Lemon.jpg
Lemon at 2025 Big Ten Media Days
No. 6 – USC Trojans
Position Wide receiver
ClassJunior
Personal information
Born (2004-06-02) June 2, 2004 (age 21) [1]
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school La Mirada
(La Mirada, California)
Los Alamitos
(Los Alamitos, California)
College USC (2023–present)
Awards and highlights
Career statistics as of Week 14, 2025
Receptions 137
Receiving yards 2,008
Receiving average 14.7
Receiving touchdowns 14
Stats at ESPN

Makai Lemon (born June 2, 2004) [1] is an American college football wide receiver for the USC Trojans. He won the Biletnikoff Award in 2025, given to the top wide receiver in college football.

Contents

Early life

Lemon is from Los Alamitos, California. [2] He grew up playing football as a wide receiver and was close friends with quarterback Malachi Nelson, with them playing for the same Pop Warner team and winning a national championship. [3] He initially attended La Mirada High School, where he caught 57 receptions for 784 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman, in addition to four interceptions as a defensive back on defense. [4] He received his first scholarship offer from the Colorado Buffaloes during the first month of his freshman season. [5]

After his freshman season, Lemon transferred to Los Alamitos High School as a sophomore, where he joined Malachi Nelson. [3] In the spring 2021 season, he caught 43 passes for 756 yards and nine touchdowns, being named first-team all-state by MaxPreps. [6] He then recorded 65 receptions for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior in 2021. [7] He was named first-team junior All-American and first-team all-state by MaxPreps. [6] As a senior, he was named first-team All-American and first-team all state after totaling 69 receptions for 1,044 yards and 12 touchdowns. [6]

Lemon was an Under Armour All-American and an invitee to the Polynesian Bowl. [6] He was ranked a five-star recruit and the 13th-best player nationally by ESPN. [8] He initially committed to play college football for the Oklahoma Sooners along with Malachi Nelson. [9] However, he later flipped his commitment along with Nelson to the USC Trojans, after coach Lincoln Riley left the Sooners for the Trojans. [10]

College career

As a freshman at USC in 2023, Lemon saw limited playing time and caught six passes for 88 yards. [11] Towards the end of the season, he played at cornerback as well as wide receiver due to injuries to the Trojans' players. [12] In 2024, Lemon had a breakout game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, totaling 256 all-purpose yards while scoring a touchdown. [13] He saw more action as the 2024 season went on and finished as USC's leading receiver with 52 receptions for 764 yards. [14]

Lemon was the recipient of the 2025 Fred Biletnikoff Award, surpassing fellow finalists Skyler Bell of UConn and Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State. He is the second Blietnikoff winner in USC football history, following Marqise Lee in 2012. [15]

Statistics

SeasonTeamGamesReceivingRushing
GPGSRecYdsAvgTDAttYdsAvgTD
2023 USC 9068814.70————
2024 USC 1265276414.73————
2025 USC 1211791,15614.611940.42
Career 33171372,00814.714940.42

References

  1. 1 2 "Makai Lemon Wide Receiver USC". nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Makai Lemon". ESPN.
  3. 1 2 Albano, Dan (May 5, 2020). "La Mirada freshman Makai Lemon among three, key football transfers at Los Alamitos". Orange County Register . Archived from the original on February 2, 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2025– via archive.ph.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ Hoover, John E. (February 16, 2021). "With an offer to ATH Makai Lemon, Lincoln Riley is in pursuit of elite QB/WR teammates". Sports Illustrated .
  5. ↑ Guerriero, Justin (September 29, 2019). "Buffs issue first Class of 2023 offer to WR/CB Makai Lemon". Rivals.com .
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Makai Lemon". USC Trojans.
  7. ↑ Grosbard, Adam (December 3, 2021). "5-star Los Alamitos WR Makai Lemon commits to USC" . Orange County Register .
  8. ↑ James, Donovan (December 22, 2022). "5-star WR Makai Lemon: outstanding individually, even better as part of a dynamic duo". USA Today – via Yahoo Sports.
  9. ↑ Davis, John (September 16, 2021). "Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon are lifelong friends, a dynamic duo on the field and Oklahoma commits". Press-Telegram .
  10. ↑ Morales, Antonio (December 3, 2021). "Makai Lemon, 5-star 2023 athlete, becomes third former OU commit to follow Lincoln Riley to USC". The Athletic .
  11. ↑ Hollowell, Kendall (October 16, 2024). "Why USC Trojans Receiver Makai Lemon Will Emerge As Breakout Player". Sports Illustrated .
  12. ↑ Evans, Luca (October 26, 2024). "Wide receiver Makai Lemon has made himself key to USC's future". Orange County Register . Archived from the original on February 2, 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2025– via archive.ph.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ↑ Kartje, Ryan (October 28, 2024). "The Times of Troy: The big-play receiver USC needed was there all along: Makai Lemon". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 2025-02-02. Retrieved 2025-03-01– via archive.ph.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ↑ Hollowell, Kendall (January 30, 2025). "Best Big Ten Receivers Ranked: Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, Oregon's Dakorien Moore, USC's Makai Lemon". Sports Illustrated .
  15. ↑ Morrissette, Connor (December 12, 2025). "USC wide receiver Makai Lemon wins Biletnikoff Award". Sports Illustrated .
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