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USC Wide Receiver Makai Lemon Named Semifinalist for Biletnikoff Award
November 17, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES—USC wide receiver Makai Lemon has been selected as a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, today (Nov. 17), by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation.Â
The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot or inside receiver, wing back, or running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award.
He is one of 13 semifinalists for the award.Â
This season, Lemon has earned placement on the AP All-American Midseason First Team, Sporting News Midseason All-American First Team, CBS Midseason All-American First Team, The Athletic Midseason All-American First Team and Sports Illustrated Midseason All-American First Team. He is also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.Â
Lemon's elite route-running and yards-after-catch ability translate to inevitable impact every week as the nation's most electric receiver. He's the second-most productive pass catcher in the country (and first in the Power Four), averaging 109.0 receiving yards per game. He leads the Big Ten in receptions per game (7.10) and has 8 receiving TDs on the season. He leads the Trojans with 71 receptions for 1,090 yards (15.4 avg.), which is third best in the nation and first in the Power Four.Â
Among all Power Four receivers, Lemon is tied for the most catches of 20+ yards or more.
He has recorded five 100-yard receiving games this season and four with at least 150 yards.Â
Lemon leads the Power Four in first downs by a wide receiver (46), and he leads the Big Ten in yards after catch (467).Â
Additionally, Lemon is one of USC's most versatile players, and has scored 2 rushing TDs, as well as tallied 7 kickoff returns for 144 yards (20.8 avg.) and 4 punt returns for 32 yards (8.0 avg.). He ranks No. 7 in the nation, No. 4 in the Power Four and No. 2 in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards (126.90).Â
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The Biletnikoff Award's semifinalists, three finalists and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters.
Recently, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation opened the 2025 FanVote. Every fan may vote once daily on the Biletnikoff Award FanVote page. The aggregate fan tally will be counted as one official vote to determine semi-finalists, finalists (three receivers) and the winner. In the closest contest in years, the FanVote tally provided the one-vote margin of victory in 2013.Â
Finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25.Â
The winner of the Biletnikoff Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2025. The formal presentation of the award will be made on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the basketball arena at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
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The Biletnikoff Award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. Any player, regardless of position (wide receiver, tight end, slot or inside receiver, wing back, or running back) who catches a pass is eligible for the award.
He is one of 13 semifinalists for the award.Â
This season, Lemon has earned placement on the AP All-American Midseason First Team, Sporting News Midseason All-American First Team, CBS Midseason All-American First Team, The Athletic Midseason All-American First Team and Sports Illustrated Midseason All-American First Team. He is also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award.Â
Lemon's elite route-running and yards-after-catch ability translate to inevitable impact every week as the nation's most electric receiver. He's the second-most productive pass catcher in the country (and first in the Power Four), averaging 109.0 receiving yards per game. He leads the Big Ten in receptions per game (7.10) and has 8 receiving TDs on the season. He leads the Trojans with 71 receptions for 1,090 yards (15.4 avg.), which is third best in the nation and first in the Power Four.Â
Among all Power Four receivers, Lemon is tied for the most catches of 20+ yards or more.
He has recorded five 100-yard receiving games this season and four with at least 150 yards.Â
Lemon leads the Power Four in first downs by a wide receiver (46), and he leads the Big Ten in yards after catch (467).Â
Additionally, Lemon is one of USC's most versatile players, and has scored 2 rushing TDs, as well as tallied 7 kickoff returns for 144 yards (20.8 avg.) and 4 punt returns for 32 yards (8.0 avg.). He ranks No. 7 in the nation, No. 4 in the Power Four and No. 2 in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards (126.90).Â
Â
The Biletnikoff Award's semifinalists, three finalists and award recipient are selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of 600 prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners and other former receivers. Foundation trustees do not vote and have never voted. For a list of voters, please see BiletnikoffAward.com/voters.
Recently, the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation opened the 2025 FanVote. Every fan may vote once daily on the Biletnikoff Award FanVote page. The aggregate fan tally will be counted as one official vote to determine semi-finalists, finalists (three receivers) and the winner. In the closest contest in years, the FanVote tally provided the one-vote margin of victory in 2013.Â
Finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25.Â
The winner of the Biletnikoff Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12, 2025. The formal presentation of the award will be made on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the basketball arena at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
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