Makai Lemon, Southern California Football News: Draft Scout Player News

Draft Scout College Football Player News

11/08/25 - WR Makai Lemon, Jr/2026, Southern California, (DS#2 WR)

Makai Lemon had a touchdown catch and a scoring run while making 11 receptions for a career-high 161 yards, and No. 20 Southern California stayed in the College Football Playoff race with a 38-17 victory over Northwestern on Friday night. Jayden Maiava passed for 299 yards and hit Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane for TDs as the Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) remained unbeaten at the Coliseum this season with a persistent offensive performance featuring 482 total yards. That's the most allowed all season by the stingy Northwestern defense, which also hadn't allowed a 200-yard passer. King Miller rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Maiava also rushed for a score. Lemon scored on a 4-yard jet sweep with 11:31 to play to put away back-to-back conference victories over Nebraska and Northwestern, keeping the Trojans in the national title conversation into mid-November for the first time since coach Lincoln Riley's first season in 2022. "We were excited about the challenge that this became," Riley said. "Flipping time zones, the tough battle in Lincoln just a few days ago, and then having to turn over and play a really good football team coming off a bye week. I just felt like these last two games would be a really important stretch for this season, and it's cool to see our guys respond." Preston Stone passed for 150 yards and Caleb Komolafe rushed for 118 yards and a score for the Wildcats (5-4, 3-3), who lost for just the second time in six games.

Griffin Wilde caught an early TD pass for Northwestern, which has never beaten USC in six meetings - the most recent in the 1996 Rose Bowl. USC got another spectacular performance from its impressive receiver duo. While the prolific Lemon put up 165 total yards, Lane had seven catches for 74 yards - and he put the Trojans up 28-14 midway through the third quarter when he juggled and controlled a one-handed TD catch under tight coverage from Fred Davis. "Whenever the ball is in the air, I just try to make the most out of the opportunity, because they don't come often," Lane said. After struggling to mount drives of significance while holding off Nebraska last week, USC opened its first home game in nearly a month with a 16-play drive culminating in Lemon's seventh TD catch of the season. Maiava had nine completions on the drive - the same number he managed all night in Lincoln. "I mean, we knew Nebraska was an outlier in their passing game," Wildcats coach David Braun said. "Nebraska had done a great job against USC, but you knew USC was going to find a way to respond. They're talented. Talented wide receivers. Quarterback plays at a very high level. Coach Riley is a great coach. And ultimately, we ended up playing on our heels most of the night." - USC/AP College Football

(DS#2 WR) Jr/2026