USC’s Makai Lemon Earns Unanimous All-American Honors, Capping Off Historic Season
Makai Lemon didn’t just have a good year - he had the kind of season that gets etched into USC’s rich football legacy. On Thursday, the standout wide receiver was named to the FWAA First Team All-America list, the final piece he needed to officially become a unanimous All-American - one of college football’s highest individual honors.
To earn that title, a player has to be selected as a first-teamer by all five of the NCAA’s recognized selectors: the Associated Press, The Sporting News, the Walter Camp Foundation, the AFCA, and the FWAA. Lemon checked every box.
He becomes USC’s first unanimous All-American since 2022, when both Caleb Williams and Tuli Tuipulotu earned the distinction. And he’s now the 30th Trojan to ever receive the honor, a number that ranks fifth all-time among all college football programs. That’s elite company, and Lemon fits right in.
At wide receiver, he joins a legendary USC lineage that includes Keyshawn Johnson (1995), Dwayne Jarrett (2005), and Marqise Lee (2012) as the only Trojan pass-catchers to earn unanimous All-American status. Each of those names went on to NFL stardom - and Lemon looks poised to follow that path.
But he wasn’t the only Trojan earning national recognition. Safety Bishop Fitzgerald, a transfer from NC State, also made the FWAA First Team, securing consensus All-American status.
Fitzgerald made his mark in just one season with USC, leading the conference with five interceptions - tied for third in the country - and racking up 51 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. His season was cut short by a knee injury in the win over Iowa, but his impact was undeniable.
Back to Lemon - his numbers tell the story of a dominant season. He led the Big Ten in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,156), and receiving touchdowns (11) through the end of the regular season. Add in a touchdown pass against Oregon and a couple of rushing scores, and Lemon finished with 14 total touchdowns, the most by a wide receiver in the conference.
That kind of production earned him the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in college football. He’s just the second Trojan ever to win it, joining Marqise Lee.
Lemon’s journey to stardom didn’t happen overnight. A four-star recruit out of Los Alamitos High School in the 2023 class, he came to USC ranked as the No. 50 overall prospect and the No. 9 wide receiver in the nation.
His freshman year saw him pull double duty - playing both wide receiver and cornerback - even switching back to defense late in the regular season to help a depleted secondary. He returned to offense for the bowl game, where he flashed his potential with two catches for 75 yards.
His sophomore breakout was no fluke, even as USC’s passing game faced its share of challenges. Lemon led the team with 52 receptions for 764 yards and three touchdowns, showing he could produce even when the offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders.
Now, with his junior year in the books, Lemon is expected to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, where he projects as a first-round pick. And based on what we’ve seen, it’s not hard to imagine him making an immediate impact at the next level.
Makai Lemon didn’t just live up to the hype - he surpassed it. From two-way contributor to Biletnikoff winner and unanimous All-American, he’s carved out a legacy that will be remembered at USC for a long time.