USC star wide receiver Makai Lemon was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 20th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Lemon had one of the best seasons in college football last year, recording 1,156 yards on 79 receptions and 11 touchdowns. His 1,156 yards ranked third among Power Four schools, earning him All-Big Ten First Team honors.

The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner will join the Eagles as he starts his new journey with Philadelphia, sitting behind receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. He joins a very successful Eagles squad that won the 2025 Super Bowl.

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m just so blessed,” Lemon said in an interview with ESPN. “This is a dream come true, I can’t believe this.”

He became the 76th USC player drafted in the first round, and the 534th Trojan drafted into the NFL — both second-most in the country. Lemon was the third wide receiver drafted off the board, behind Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.

While predominantly known as a quarterback school, USC has become a strong pipeline for wide receivers over the past few years, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr. and Drake London.

Despite not running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine, Lemon did so at USC Football’s Pro Day and ran an unofficial 4.46-second 40-yard dash.

Coming into the Draft, Lemon was predicted to land with the Los Angeles Rams at the 13th overall pick, according to ESPN, but fell to the 20th pick, which was originally held by the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys traded their pick to their division rival, the Eagles, who used it to select Lemon. 

With speculation that Brown could be traded to the New England Patriots, Lemon could become the second option for the Eagles, behind former Biletnikoff winner Smith.

Other Trojans in the draft, including safety Kamari Ramsey, wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, defensive end Anthony Lucas and safety Bishop Fitzgerald, will look to be selected in the upcoming rounds on Friday and Saturday. If they are not selected, players can still sign undrafted free agent contracts with teams.