USC wide receiver Makai Lemon named Biletnikoff Award finalist

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon has had an incredible season. Through 11 games, he leads the Power Four with 78 receptions for 1,124 yards and ten touchdowns. Last week I wrote an article stating that Lemon should be the favorite to win the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the best pass catcher in the country.

Well, it seems that the country has noticed. The Biletnikoff finalists were announced Tuesday and Lemon was one of them.

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Joining Lemon among the finalists are UConn’s Skyler Bell and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Bell currently has better stats than Lemon, but has played against a lower level of competition. Smith, meanwhile, has put up worse numbers playing in the same conference, so it would take a massive performance this week against Michigan (as well as potentially in the Big Ten Championship Game the following week) to give him a legitimate case for the award.

The Biletnikoff Award has been presented annually since 1994. During that period, the only Trojan to win the award was Marqise Lee in 2012. Before Lemon, the last USC player to be named a finalist was Michael Pittman Jr. in 2019.

In addition to the selection committee, there is also a Biletnikoff Prize fan vote. Fans can vote for the award at this particular link.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football’s Makai Lemon Named Biletnikoff Award Finalist