All-American receiver Makai Lemon headed to NFL, skipping his final season at USC

LOS ANGELES (AP) — All-American receiver Makai Lemon is skipping his final season at Southern California to enter the NFL draft.

Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver this season after catching 79 passes for 1,156 yards — tops in the Power Four conferences — and 11 touchdowns for the Trojans (9-3). The 5-foot-11 wideout with a knack for acrobatic catches and game-changing plays earned first-team All-America honors from The Associated Press.

Lemon grew up 25 miles from USC’s campus in Orange County. After playing sparingly as a freshman in 2023, he caught 131 passes for 1,928 yards and 14 TDs during his two full seasons with the Trojans.

“The opportunity to play this game in the city that raised me was something I envisioned long before it became reality,” Lemon wrote when announcing his expected decision on social media Wednesday. “Competing in front of my family, friends and community made this experience even more meaningful, and I’ll always be proud to have represented this university and this city.”

Lemon is USC’s second Biletnikoff Award winner, joining Marqise Lee (2012).

Ja’Kobi Lane, Lemon’s friend and fellow starting receiver at USC, also declared for the draft earlier this week.

USC coach Lincoln Riley already announced that both of his top receivers would skip the Trojans’ trip to the Alamo Bowl to face TCU on Dec. 30. Riley’s team is expected be without roughly a dozen starters between opt-outs and injury recoveries.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/college-football