Scouting Journals for Makai Lemon

Arguably the top two-way high school football player on the West Coast. Stars as a receiver and defensive back. Savvy with advanced ball tracking skills. Does not test as a top athlete, but shows play speed that belies what he does in the combine setting. Smooth mover with the ability to create separation with route-running and acceleration. Totaled over 1,000 receiving yards in addition to four interceptions as a junior. Consistently produces and performs well against top talent. Likely projects as a slot receiver long-term. Does not have a separating physical trait when it comes to size, length or speed/athleticism.

Makai Lemon put forth a yeoman’s effort for Los Alamitos (Calif.) High in a nationally-televised game against Fort Lauderdale American Heritage. The USC commit was the obvious bright spot in what was an otherwise tough afternoon for Los Alamitos in a 56-27 loss that saw a running clock instituted in the second half. Lemon seemingly did whatever he wanted against an American Heritage secondary full of Power Five prospects and finished with over 200 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also had a 65-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run and another score on a kickoff return called back due to penalties. Lemon showed off his polished, well-rounded skills over the course of the afternoon. He’s an advanced route-runner and has the ability to separate at multiple levels. The burst and quickness after the catch presented issues even against top talent. We also saw some ball skills on display, with Lemon coming down with an impressive back shoulder grab. The competitive nature was also notable. As noted, Los Alamitos was trailing by multiple scores for most of the game. Lemon’s teammate and fellow USC commit, Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson had a very up-and-down game – much more so than his final stats would indicate. Still, Lemon was competing at max effort even when the game was far out of reach.

Makai Lemon faced off with top cornerback Jalil Tucker in a big game that pitted Los Alamitos against San Diego Lincoln. Lemon and Tucker went toe-to-toe on both sides of the ball. Each had their fair share of wins, with Lemon probably having a few more to his name. Lemon is a refined, confident player on both sides of the ball and is an interesting prospect at corner, though he’s likely to play receiver at the next level.