Makai Lemon Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Ethan Thai/Daily Trojan)

School: USC

Class: Junior

Position: WR

HT: 5’11

WT: 195 lbs

Background: Makai Lemon was a top 50 player in the 2023 recruiting class out of Los Alamitos, CA. Lemon was both a top 10 player in California and a top 10 wide receiver in the country. In 2022, he was named to the MaxPreps All-American First Team. He was also a 2023 Under Armour-All-American and participated in the 2023 Polynesian Bowl. Lemon played both wide receiver and cornerback for Los Alamitos High School, but was recruited as a wide receiver. Lemon committed to play for USC over Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and others.

College: As a true freshman in 2023, Lemon saw reps in most of the Trojans’ games both at cornerback and wide receiver. His true breakout came in 2024, a year in which he led the team with 52 receptions and 764 yards. Lemon was also the team’s primary kick returner. He was named an All-Big 10 Honorable Mention after the season. Lemon enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign. He was an All-American, All-Big 10 First Team selection, and the Biletnikoff winner as the nation’s best wide receiver. He had 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Strengths: Lemon has a quick release to create separation off the line. He makes it difficult for press corners to jam him at the line because of that quickness. Lemon is a versatile receiver who can line up both in the slot and on the boundary. Lemon is a zone defense killer. He has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage to sit in and wait for the football. Makai is elusive and hard to track down with the ball in his hands. He makes defenders miss in open space with ease. His toughness shows up consistently at the catchpoint. He made numerous catches where he knew he was going to get rocked by a defender in pursuit and still came down with the football. On that same point, Lemon is exceptional at hauling in contested catches for a player of his size. He has strong hands at the catchpoint to rip the football away from any defenders.

Weaknesses: Speed is not Lemon’s game, as he is more of a crafty player. He is not much of a deep ball playmaker as he cannot turn on the burners to get over the top of the defense. His size and skillset will likely limit him to a slot role in the NFL, which limits his role in an offense. Out of the slot, he needs to expand his route tree against man coverage. He relies a lot on improvisation against zone coverage but does not have that same effectiveness against man.

Conclusion: Makai Lemon was the Biletnikoff Award winner for a reason. He was the most productive wide receiver in football. He is a mismatch for many nickels in the NFL with his reliable hands and large catch radius. He will be asked to work himself free as a crafty route runner and most of his production will come in the short to intermediate areas of the field.

Best Team Fits: NYJ, CLE, NO

Player Comparison: Amon Ra St. Brown

Player Grade: Round 1 (90.4)