Why USC Trojans Receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is Finding His Stride at the Perfect Time

USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane has battled a couple of injuries this season, which began over the summer when he suffered a broken foot.

The USC Trojans were cautious with their junior receiver. Lane was limited to begin fall camp and served as more of a coach during the first couple of weeks as he worked his way back to full strength.

Lane recovered well and was playing like his normal self out the gate, with a 91-yard and one touchdown performance against Georgia Southern in week 2. He then followed it up by catching three passes for 115 yards in the Trojans Big Ten opener against Purdue.

However, Lane missed the Trojans week 4 win over Michigan State with an injury. He played on a snap count in their week 5 loss to Illinois, after USC coach Lincoln Riley revealed after the game that Lane had not practiced in a couple of weeks.

Getting Healthy

USC Trojans Ja'Kobi Lane Recruit Notre Dame Rivalry Northwestern College Football Makai Lemon Lincoln Riley Big Ten — Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) warms up on the field before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Lane has started to find his stride in the offense again after USC’s first bye week in early October. Since then, the Arizona native has caught a touchdown in three of the Trojans last four games.

Against Notre Dame in week 8, Lane caught six passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. And on Friday against Northwestern, he caught a season-high seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s good for him to step up. Ever since he got injured, he’s been a little bit rusty coming back,” Riley said. “He certainly made some plays, but he’s been a little rusty too, and now he’s starting to get a couple of good practice weeks under his belt and play a really consistent game. That’s important for us. He’s an important part of our offense and our team. And certainly, made us a little bit more versatile tonight.”

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The 6-4 Lane has seen his game to continue to evolve during his time in Los Angeles.

He's always been great at using his frame and known for having a wide catch radius. This season, Lane’s become a more detailed route runner and even though he doesn’t have 'blazing' speed, the Trojans receiver has long strides that can run past defenses and turned him into a dangerous deep threat.

Lane has gone viral several times for his one-handed and acrobatic catches. He added to his reel on Friday night and proved once again that even when Lane is covered, he's still open.

Last season, Lane started to heat up at end of the season, recording seven receiving touchdowns in the final three games of the season. USC will need their superstar receiver again during this final stretch.

Leadership Role

Lane has a big personality, the one that people gravitate towards. Riley challenged him in the spring to begin turning that into leadership. It’s a role that Lane has embraced and his impact for the Trojans goes beyond the stat sheet.

“It’s huge. I think the biggest thing is just how much of a team player he is and how much he just wants to see everybody win on his team. You have to appreciate guys like that, he’s a warrior,” USC quarterback Jayden Maiava said.

Trojans running back King Miller called Lane the “heart and soul” of the team in his postgame presser Friday.

He's a fan favorite. When the game is over, Lane is the player young fans are looking to get an autograph from and take a picture with.

The USC coaches' kids dressed up as their dads for Halloween and came out to a practice. And the player they were excited to show their costumes off to was Lane.

Dynamic Duo

With three of the Trojans top six receivers in the transfer portal at the end of the 2024 season, instead of moving guys up the depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl , Riley rolled almost exclusively with Lane, Makai Lemon and Kyle Ford, who was playing in his final collegiate game.

Lane and Lemon proved to be a problem all night for the Texas A&M secondary and the Trojans walked away with a 38-35 win.

The two former four-star recruits in the 2023 cycle garnered plenty of attention heading into the fall, not just as one of the top receiving duos in college football, but also as NFL Draft prospects.

Lemon had a stellar performance of his own against Northwestern, reeling in 11 catches for a career-high 161 yards and one touchdown. It was his third game with at least 150 receiving yards, no other Big Ten receiver has more than one. He's built a strong rapport quarterback Jayden Maiava and been an essential part of the run game as a blocker.

"He's a good route runner. He understands defenses," Riley said. "He understands our entire offense, not just running routes. He understands what we're trying to accomplish."

The Los Alamitos (Calif.) native has positioned himself to be a Biletnikoff Award finalist. Lemon ranks second in the Big Ten in receptions and first in receiving yards.

The two veteran receivers have played a role in bringing freshman receiver Tanook Hines along. Hines has described the two veterans as "great models" as he continues to get accustomed to playing major college football.

Getting Healthy

Leadership Role

Dynamic Duo

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