When Lincoln Riley made the move from Oklahoma to USC, most recruits and players were torn, either sticking with the Sooners or agreeing to follow the coach out West. Among the first recruits to commit to Riley when he decided to move to Los Angeles was Makai Lemon. The 4-star recruit from Los Alamitos stayed home placing his belief in Lincoln Riley.
BREAKING: 2023 ATH Makai Lemon has Committed to USC, he tells @On3Recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 3, 2021
The 6’0 180 ATH from Los Alamitos, CA decommitted from Oklahoma on Tuesday
Lemon is the 3rd recruit to flip from Oklahoma to USC since Lincoln Riley’s departure https://t.co/GYLk05WnHh pic.twitter.com/qspzFtD4CJ
In his second season at USC, Makai Lemon started to look like a potential superstar catching 52 passes for 764 yards and 3 touchdowns. The breakout season set Makai Lemon up for a monster season as he entered his junior season.
Makai Lemon's belief in Lincoln Riley made him a 1st round pick
This year, Makai Lemon was the best wide receiver in the Country, taking home the Biletnikoff Award. Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, becoming the driving force in the USC Trojans' offense.
On Wednesday, Makai Lemon officially declared he'd be entering the NFL Draft where he'll have a chance to be the 1st wide receiver off the board.
BREAKING: USC star WR Makai Lemon is set to declare for the NFL Draft, sources tell @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 17, 2025
This season he totaled 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 TDs
One of the Top WRs in this year’s draft classhttps://t.co/AtqKHA8uVt pic.twitter.com/6GQGE0NMJS
Lincoln Riley is known as an offensive guru, which is what's drawn players like Makai Lemon to his team. While Riley gets the most credit for his work with wide receivers, he's become another great success story for a wide receiver in his system.
Given that Makai Lemon is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, he most likely profiles as a slot receiver in the NFL. This season, Lemon played 456 snaps in the slot with 222 snaps out wide, giving him a chance to do a bit of both at the next level.
In our latest NFL Mock Draft, Makai Lemon went 8th overall to the Washington Commanders, landing with another great offensive mind in Kliff Kingsbury.
How Makai Lemon tests compared to the likes of Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson will determine if he's able to go off the board as the first wide receiver picked or if he slides further down the draft boards.