USC’s countdown to kickoff has hit the single-digit stretch, and the spotlight this time falls on one of the most electric receivers the Trojans have ever put on the field: Marqise Lee.
With USC set to open its 2026 football season on August 29 against San Jose State at the Coliseum, the program’s countdown series is working through notable Trojans by jersey number. Nine days out, Lee is the name attached to the day.
Lee’s USC run lasted from 2011 through 2013, and he wasted no time announcing himself. As a true freshman in 2011, he exploded for 73 catches, 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns, immediately looking like a player built for the biggest stage.
Then came 2012, the season that pushed him into another class entirely. Lee rewrote USC’s single-season receiving marks with 118 receptions and 1,721 yards, adding 14 touchdowns on top of that. One week in particular stands out above the rest: against Arizona, he delivered what may be the greatest receiving performance in USC football history, piling up 16 receptions for 346 yards and two touchdowns in a game the Trojans still lost.
That year also brought the hardware. Lee was named a Unanimous All-American and became the first Trojan to win the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top receiver in college football.
His junior season in 2013 was slowed by injuries, but Lee still came through in the moments that mattered. He made several important catches while hurt in USC’s 20-17 upset of No.
4 Stanford, then finished his Trojan career with 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a Las Vegas Bowl win over No. 20 Fresno State.
After that season, Lee entered the 2014 NFL Draft and was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round. His pro career never quite matched the buzz he carried out of USC, but he did spend six seasons in Jacksonville. His best NFL season came in 2016, when he caught 63 passes for 851 yards and three touchdowns.
Lee’s final NFL appearance came in 2019 with the Jaguars. He later had brief stints with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers in 2020 and 2021, though he never played in a game for either team.
When football was over, Lee went back to school and finished what he started. He earned his USC degree this past May.
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