Makai Lemon, USC
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Wide receiver Makai Lemon of the USC Trojans.
Going into the NFL Scouting Combine, USC wide receiver Makai Lemon was projected to be a first-round pick. But that may no longer be the case.
Reports began surfacing shortly after the combine that Lemon did not come across well in team interviews.
“I talked to a scout just now who said he didn’t know what Makai Lemon’s motive was behind his combine interviews but whoever advised the kid needs to be fired. ‘Absolutely bombed it’ word for word,” Breiden Fehoko said.
Robinson L. Whitmore also posted that at least four teams decided to remove Lemon from their draft boards following his interviews.
“Great player, horrible attitude. What a disaster,” one team told Anthony Betts.
Anthony
Seeing lots of talk today about Lemon bombing his interviews….. it’s true. I was told the other day he did. Even some people at the combine told me he was a turn off.
I know a few teams took him off the board. Does he fall? If he does how far?
One team told me “Great player,
While much of that initially felt like hearsay, a recent video of Lemon performing drills at the combine may suggest the concerns weren’t entirely exaggerated.
More: Steelers WR Draft Target ‘Absolutely Bombed’ Combine Interviews: Report
Makai Lemon Combine Drill Video Adds to Interview Concerns
In a video circulating on social media, New England Patriots wide receivers coach Todd Downing is seen explaining a drill to participants. Lemon appears separated from the group and not fully engaged with the instructions.
Later in the clip, Lemon misses a pass after failing to look up for the ball, seemingly because he did not follow the coaching points being explained moments earlier.
Lemon did not participate in athletic testing, opting only to take part in positional drills and the gauntlet. CBS Sports’ JP Acosta gave him an A- grade overall.
“Makai Lemon didn’t test, but man, he looked smooth throughout drills and the gauntlet,” Acosta wrote. “His acceleration was top-notch, he stayed straight down the line, and despite one drop in the gauntlet, he caught the ball well during routes on air. He also cleared several measurable benchmarks, including a 73¼-inch wingspan. He’s still a Round 1 lock and could go higher than people think.”
It’s worth noting that Acosta’s evaluation was published before reports about Lemon’s interview struggles surfaced.
USC WR Makai Lemon’s Viral Combine Moment Sparks Draft Stock Debate
Lemon first went viral during the combine because of how he handled his media session.
Photos and video clips showed the USC wideout staring intensely into cameras during questioning.
Photographer Bryce DeGroat, who captured one of the images, said he believed Lemon’s demeanor shifted after being asked about his height.
“When Lemon got to the podium he was locked in but chill. Then within the first 30 seconds someone asked a wild question about his height,” DeGroat said. “You could tell he took it personally and from that moment on he was locked in on another level.”
Bryce DeGroat
2 days ago Lemon stared me dead in the eyes and gave me my most viral clip ever. Now he is getting a bad wrap as many people say he could fall in drafts because of how he acts
But here’s my point of view….
When Lemon got to the podium he was locked in but chill. Then within
Lemon measured at 5-foot-11 1/8, 192 pounds, with 8¾-inch hands, 30½-inch arms and a 73¼-inch wingspan.
He was not the smallest receiver at the combine. Georgia’s Zachariah Branch measured at 5-foot-8 5/8, and Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson came in at 5-foot-9 3/8.
Height certainly wasn’t an issue during Lemon’s final season at USC. He recorded 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning Unanimous All-American honors and winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver.
Now the question isn’t about production.
It’s about whether Makai Lemon’s combine interviews — not his tape — end up shaping where he lands in the 2026 NFL Draft.