USC Fans Will Love What Makai Lemon Said About Chad Savage at the NFL Combine

Former USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon is one of the more high-profile prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and his work ethic and attention to detail some of the many reasons why he's projected as a first round pick come April.

Makai Lemon Praises Chad Savage

Before working out in any drills at the combine, Lemon spoke to the media about a number of topics, one of them being his coaching and development at USC with inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage.

makai lemon nfl combine chad savage praise usc trojans inside wide receivers coach biletnikoff award lincoln riley nfl draft — Nov 11, 2023; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams assistant coach - wide receivers Chad Savage talks to his team during the second quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. | Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

"I would say Chad Savage, for sure. In the film room, just bringing out things that I maybe didn’t see," Lemon said when asked what coach has been most impactful by his development. "You know, just breaking down the defenses and offenses. And then position drills just working on my technique, so I applied that for sure."

Savage was promoted to passing game coordinator by USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans in the offseason, a sign of his value and his impact in Southern California. Known to be one of the more relentless recruiters on USC's coaching staff, Savage receiving his flowers from Lemon speaks volumes.

"Chad Savage for sure."

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon talks USC Tight Ends / Inside Receivers Coach Chad Savage and how he helped with his development. #NFL #NFLCombine2026 pic.twitter.com/Nzw4LcWKxp
— Mike Patton 🏈🎤🖋 (@MikePatton82) February 27, 2026

Savage arrived at USC, previously with Colorado State, before the 2025 season, before Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the country. Lemon was a known commodity in 2024 with 52 catches for 764 and three touchdowns, but he etched his name in Trojans history in 2025 with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns.

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What Chad Savage Said About Coaching Makai Lemon

When Savage spoke at a press conference earlier in February, he revealed some of his coaching philosophy, one that helped develop Lemon into one of the top NFL prospects in 2026.

“That's our standard. And if you guys sit in my meeting room or you see how I coach on the field, that's going to be our standard. It's going to be details, details, details because I'm a firm believer the difference is in the details, and the details are going to catch up to you at some point," Savage said.

Savage also spoke to Lemon's habits as the star receiver's work ethic has played a big role in his rise. At 5-11, 192, Lemon is not the prototypical wide receiver when it comes to NFL prospects, but his strong hands and his

"Practice is everything to me. It doesn't matter if it's a walk through, doesn't mean matter if it's a Wednesday practice, Friday practice, practice is everything. The type of player you are in practice, that's going to translate to the games on Saturday, and he (Lemon) was just so consistent with how he did everything. I think that's why he's going to get his name called pretty early in the draft," said Savage.

Lemon is set to participate in wide receiver drills at the combine, but he will not be completing any of the athletic tests. Next up will be USC's pro day as well as private workouts with specific teams before the 2026 NFL Draft officially begins on April 23.