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USC’s Makai Lemon Named Sporting News First Team All-American
December 17, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES—USC WR Makai Lemon has been named a Sporting News First Team All-American.
S Bishop Fitzgerald was selected to the Sporting News All-America Second Team.
Additionally, Lemon was named the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner and the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. He was also selected as a Walter Camp First Team All-American, AP First Team All-American, AFCA First Team All-American, On3 First Team All-American, Sports Illustrated First Team All-American, The Athletic First Team All-American, a PFF All-American and a Pro Football Sports Network Third Team All-American. In addition to earning All-Conference honors by the Big Ten, Lemon was also named to the AP All-Big Ten First Team and the Sports Info Solution All-Big Ten First Team.
Fitzgerald has also been named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team, AP All-America First Team, PFF All-America Team, AFCA All-America Second Team, On3 All-America Second Team, Sports Illustrated All-America Second Team, and The Athletic All America Second Team. He was additionally honored as an AP All-Big Ten First Team member.
USC now has 179 First Team All-Americans.
WR Makai Lemon has showcased himself as the nation's best receiver. Per PFF, Lemon is the highest graded wide receiver in college football holding an overall grade of 90.4 and the nation's top receiving grade of 91.3. The First Team All-American and Biletnikoff winner finished the regular season leading the Power Four in receiving yards (1,156) and receiving yards per game (96.3). He also led the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.6), yards after catch (502) and is tied for most receiving TDs (11). Lemon finished the regular season third in the Power Four with 19 receptions of 20+ yards, and he was tied for first nationally with 50 catches for first downs. In 2025, Lemon scored 11 receiving TDs, 2 rushing TDs and threw a passing TD. Lemon is the first Big Ten player to catch 2 TDs and throw a TD in a game (versus Oregon) since Minnesota's Eric Decker versus Cal on Sept. 19, 2009. He recorded five 100-yard receiving games this season and seven in his career. He has been in double digits in receptions 3 times in 2025. In his career, he's recorded 137 receptions for 2,008 yards (14.7 avg.) with 14 TDs, and he currently ranks 22nd on USC's career receptions list.
S Bishop Fitzgerald, was one of the country's best defenders and finished the regular season leading the Big Ten (and No. 2 nationally) in interceptions. His 5 interceptions are the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. Even after missing two games due to injury late in the season, the All-American candidate still ranked fourth on USC's defense with 51 total tackles (34 of them solo stops), including 2.5 for loss of 18 yards (with 1 sack for minus 11 yards) and 3 PBUs. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Additionally, Fitzgerald was named the Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week after his performance against Michigan when he hauled in 2 picks (his second game of the season with 2 interceptions) to help USC win 31-13 in one of USC's biggest victories since moving to the Big Ten.
S Bishop Fitzgerald was selected to the Sporting News All-America Second Team.
Additionally, Lemon was named the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner and the 2025 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. He was also selected as a Walter Camp First Team All-American, AP First Team All-American, AFCA First Team All-American, On3 First Team All-American, Sports Illustrated First Team All-American, The Athletic First Team All-American, a PFF All-American and a Pro Football Sports Network Third Team All-American. In addition to earning All-Conference honors by the Big Ten, Lemon was also named to the AP All-Big Ten First Team and the Sports Info Solution All-Big Ten First Team.
Fitzgerald has also been named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team, AP All-America First Team, PFF All-America Team, AFCA All-America Second Team, On3 All-America Second Team, Sports Illustrated All-America Second Team, and The Athletic All America Second Team. He was additionally honored as an AP All-Big Ten First Team member.
USC now has 179 First Team All-Americans.
WR Makai Lemon has showcased himself as the nation's best receiver. Per PFF, Lemon is the highest graded wide receiver in college football holding an overall grade of 90.4 and the nation's top receiving grade of 91.3. The First Team All-American and Biletnikoff winner finished the regular season leading the Power Four in receiving yards (1,156) and receiving yards per game (96.3). He also led the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.6), yards after catch (502) and is tied for most receiving TDs (11). Lemon finished the regular season third in the Power Four with 19 receptions of 20+ yards, and he was tied for first nationally with 50 catches for first downs. In 2025, Lemon scored 11 receiving TDs, 2 rushing TDs and threw a passing TD. Lemon is the first Big Ten player to catch 2 TDs and throw a TD in a game (versus Oregon) since Minnesota's Eric Decker versus Cal on Sept. 19, 2009. He recorded five 100-yard receiving games this season and seven in his career. He has been in double digits in receptions 3 times in 2025. In his career, he's recorded 137 receptions for 2,008 yards (14.7 avg.) with 14 TDs, and he currently ranks 22nd on USC's career receptions list.
S Bishop Fitzgerald, was one of the country's best defenders and finished the regular season leading the Big Ten (and No. 2 nationally) in interceptions. His 5 interceptions are the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. Even after missing two games due to injury late in the season, the All-American candidate still ranked fourth on USC's defense with 51 total tackles (34 of them solo stops), including 2.5 for loss of 18 yards (with 1 sack for minus 11 yards) and 3 PBUs. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Additionally, Fitzgerald was named the Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week after his performance against Michigan when he hauled in 2 picks (his second game of the season with 2 interceptions) to help USC win 31-13 in one of USC's biggest victories since moving to the Big Ten.
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