Next USC Star Receiver Who Could Follow Makai Lemon in the NFL Draft

As former USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon begins to begin his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, it is time to take a look at what player from USC could follow him to the NFL.

Trojans coach Lincoln Riley definitely has the talent to develop NFL-caliber receivers, and based on last year’s production, there could already be one on the roster.

Wide Receiver Tanook Hines

The potential answer for USC could come in the form of wide receiver Tanook Hines, who finished as the third receiver for the Trojans last season. In his 2025 campaign, Hines recorded 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns. After getting some great experience last season, Hines could be poised to take the next step forward.

Additionally, the opportunity to learn from receivers like Lemon could be very valuable for a player like Hines looking to continue his collegiate development.

Standing at 6-0 and 195 pounds, Hines has the frame to play a variety of positions that a receiver could develop into one of Riley‘s more important weapons. Near the end of the 2025 season, Hines showed that he can step into that role and could potentially be the Trojans' lead receiver next season.

In USC’s final game last season, when they played in the Alamo Bowl, Hines took a massive step forward. During the Alamo Bowl against TCU, Hines recorded six receptions for 163 yards and continued to develop his chemistry with quarterback Jayden Maiava.

With his solid performance at the end of the season and continued chemistry development with Maiava, Hines could be set for a stellar sophomore season and emerge as USC‘s next best receiver who could be selected when he is eligible for the NFL Draft.

USC Trojans to the NFL Pipeline

For the Trojans, it seems that over the past few seasons, they have started to become one of the more consistent collegiate programs to develop NFL level receivers, especially under the coaching of Riley. This year, USC added to that résumé with Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane both selected in the draft.

Since 2020, the Trojans have seen great success with their receivers developing to become consistent players of the next level. The most notable players in that group are Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, Drake, London, and Jordan Addison.

The opportunity to play at USC appears to be one that could give future recruits a great chance to play at the NFL level. The consistent development of receivers at USC is a very rare one compared to other programs.

After the conference realignment, USC switched to the Big Ten, and the elite level of competition that the Trojans face consistently is very helpful to help prospects understand where they stack up against some of the best competition in the country.

Beyond 2026

As Hines prepares for the 2026 season, he has a great opportunity to take the next step as one of the top USC receivers, and with his youth, he could have a few more seasons in store.

While success is not a guarantee with the Trojans, the constant development of great players at the receiver position is something that bodes well for Heinz to become one of USC‘s next NFL Draft picks in the near future.

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