Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) warms up on the field before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

USC Trojans' Ja'Kobi Lane, Makai Lemon Aiming To Make Program History in NFL Draft

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI
By Gabriel Duarte | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 2:25 PM ET

Through the first seven games of the season, the USC Trojans have proven that they have one of, if not the best wide receiver duo in the country in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane. The Trojans' duo have allowed the offense to have so much success early on in the year.

Lane and Lemon could become the first USC wide receiver duo to be selected within the first two days of the NFL draft since Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett were both taken in the second round of the 2007 draft.

Lemon has been thought of as potentially the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. The draft hype surrounding Lane has begun to pick up as the junior wide receiver is finally near full health following an early injury.

Ja'Kobi Lane's Draft Status

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Jordan Reid of ESPN is exceptionally high on Lane, labelling him as a potential Day 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He said that Lane's traits and talent make up for the lack of production.

"The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder is still a bit streaky, as he had consecutive games with fewer than 40 receiving yards in between two 100-yard performances. But the long strider has a wide catch radius, and I think Lane is someone to watch down the backstretch of the season -- especially with Lemon getting a lot of the attention from defenses. He looks like a second- or third-rounder," Reid said.

Numbers On The Year

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Lane has played in only six games this season. He missed the Michigan State game on Sept. 20 due to injury but suited up the following week vs. Illinois.

He is fresh off his best performance of the year vs. Notre Dame, where he caught a season-high six receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. On the season, Lane remains as the Trojans' second-leading wide receiver with 24 catches for 424 yards and three touchdowns.

Although he had a couple of back-to-back dud performances vs. Illinois and Michigan, Lane still posed as a big threat throughout the games and allowed Lemon to find cracks in the defense.

That type of unselfishness is a big reason why Lane is extremely well received on the team. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is lucky to have talented wide receivers on the outside like Lemon and Lane, who help elevate the Trojans' offense to new heights.

Lemon and Lane

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Helping Lane's numbers are the fact he has one of the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects lining up alongside him at wide receiver.

Lemon has been a true game-changer for the Trojans' offense. He is their leading receiver with 48 catches for 758 yards and six touchdowns. The junior wide receiver has already racked up three games with over 100 yards receiving this season and two multi-touchdown games.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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