USC’s Makai Lemon is taking the next step-and he's doing it with a Biletnikoff Award in hand.
On Wednesday, Lemon officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, opting to forgo his senior season with the Trojans. It’s a move that felt inevitable after the kind of year he just had, but now it’s official: one of college football’s most electric wideouts is headed to Sundays.
Lemon didn’t just shine this season-he dominated. Racking up 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, he finished inside the top six nationally in both categories.
That’s elite company, and it’s the kind of production that turns heads in NFL war rooms. What’s more impressive is how he built on his breakout sophomore campaign, where he posted 764 yards and three scores.
This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan season-it was the natural progression of a receiver who’s been trending upward since he arrived in Los Angeles.
With Lemon moving on, USC is now without its top two pass-catchers heading into next season. Ja’Kobi Lane, who quietly put together a strong campaign with 745 yards and four touchdowns, also declared for the draft earlier. That’s a serious talent drain for the Trojans, who will need to retool their receiving corps in a big way.
As for Lemon, he enters a 2026 draft class that’s shaping up to be deep at wide receiver-but he’s firmly in the conversation among the best of the bunch. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, who has already declared, and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who is widely expected to follow suit after the Buckeyes wrap up their season, are also names to watch.
But Lemon’s résumé stacks up with anyone’s. He’s got the production, the polish, and the playmaking ability that NFL teams covet.
Bottom line: Makai Lemon has done everything he needed to do at the college level. Now, he’s ready to test himself against the best in the world. And based on what we’ve seen, he won’t just be another name in the draft-he’ll be one of the headliners.