Candidates to Replace Receiver Makai Lemon in the Slot for USC

USC Trojans star receiver Makai Lemon is gone, which means someone new is going to have to fill his role in the slot. Inside receivers/tight ends coach Chad Savage revealed which players are going to be lining up at Lemon's position.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes recruit Kayden Dixon-Wyatt walks onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC cut down its receiver rotation in 2025, and Makai Lemon played a majority of the snaps in the slot. But with the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner headed off to the NFL, someone new will step into that role. 

Inside receivers coach/tight end coach Chad Savage named the players who will line up in the slot this season. 

Candidates to Replace Makai Lemon

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC wide receiver Makai Lemon speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Zacharyus Williams is moving from the outside to the slot. The Southern California native transferred to USC last spring after playing his freshman season at Utah. 

He was expected to have a significant role in the rotation but a significant upper body injury late in the Trojans' week 2 win over Georgia kept him out of the lineup until late November. Williams saw action in five games, but with one coming in the bowl game, he was able to redshirt. Williams has the most experience of the potential replacements. 

He has the opportunity to continue building a rapport with quarterback Jayden Maiava in the spring, something he didn't have year ago.

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Freshman Trent Mosley racked up numerous accolades his senior season in high school. The four-star recruit was at the center of Santa Margarita (Calif.) become the first school other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championship and Open Division State Championship since 2015. His skill set is very Lemon-esque. 

Romero Ison was a four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle. He saw action in one game last season. Walk-ons Cam Sermons and Seth Zamora complete the room.  

It’s more likely multiple players see playing time in that role, rather than just one, unless someone completely separates themselves in the spring and fall camp. No one is being asked to be Lemon, it’s an unrealistic expectation, but they do have to replace his production as a unit. 

Freshmen Receiver Roles Revealed 

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes recruits Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Chris Henry Jr. walk onto the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Savage’s announcement means freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt will lineup on the outside, as of now. The four-star Mater Dei (Calif.) product has the ability to play both. The same goes for Ja’Myron ‘Tron’ Baker. 

Freshman Luc Weaver was expected to play on the outside with his 6-foot-3 frame. Four-star Boobie Feaster and three-star Roderick Tezeno will both arrive in the summer but expect them to play outside as well. 

USC wide receiver Tanook Hines hauls in a touchdown pass under cover from Oregon defensive back Aaron Flowers as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tanook Hines started as a true freshman at one of the spots and NC State transfer Terrell Anderson, a former top 100 recruit in the 2024 class, is expected to be a plug-and-play starter opposite of Hines. Anderson has proven Power Four production, having appeared in every game in his first two collegiate seasons. 

Hines did play some snaps in the slot during the bowl game and is something to keep an eye on. Sophomore Corey Simms is vying for playing time in 2026. The former four-star recruit only took 21 offensive snaps, with 11 coming in the bowl game last season. However, he did appear in all 13 games during his true freshman on special teams, which speaks volumes.