Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles selected USC wide receiver Makai Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lemon is the third Trojan to be selected in the first round of the draft in four years under head coach Lincoln Riley.
In Philadelphia, Lemon is set to team up with Super Bowl champion quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts also played for Riley in college, having been his quarterback during the 2019 season at Oklahoma. That year, Hurts led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Back in 2023, Hurts actually visited a USC spring practice. At the time, Lemon was a true freshman early enrollee participating in his first spring with the Trojans. Now, the two of them are teammates.
In 2026, Philadelphia will have two of the best players that Lincoln Riley has coached playing huge roles. Riley may be from Cowboys country, but perhaps he will become an Eagles fan as a result?
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Lincoln Riley stars Makai Lemon, Jalen Hurts teaming up on Eagles
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
