Chaos erupted in Columbus after USC wide receiver Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award this season. For Ohio State, long viewed as college football’s premier wide receiver factory, the loss was a tough pill to swallow. Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith, a finalist alongside Lemon, was widely expected to win. While the defeat stung for Smith, Lemon showed class, remaining humble in victory.

“Jeremiah Smith is a great receiver. It just shows you what the Big 10 is about for sure,” Lemon said on the December 23rd USC press conference. “You’re going to get going against top talent every week. So feel like that’s the best position that you want to be in, to showcase your talent. To beat the best, you’ve got to go against the best. So, feel like it just shows you the type of talent that we have.”

It sure does. After Marqise Lee snagged the award in 2012, Lemon became the second Trojan player to follow in his footsteps. His rise was nothing short of impressive. After playing a limited role as a freshman in 2023, he exploded over the next two seasons. Lemon hauled in 131 catches for 1,928 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Trojans.

“The opportunity to play this game in the city that raised me was something I envisioned long before it became reality,” Lemon wrote when announcing his expected decision on social media Wednesday. “Competing in front of my family, friends, and community made this experience even more meaningful, and I’ll always be proud to have represented this university and this city.”

This season was a massive success for Lemon. Along with winning the Biletnikoff, he earned unanimous First Team All-American honors, cementing his place in USC history since Caleb Williams and Tuli Tuipulotu in 2022. Lemon was easily one of the most dominant receivers in college football this year. He completed the season with 1,156 receiving yards, which is the most among any Power Four receiver, along with 14 total touchdowns.

He also became the first USC wideout to lead his conference in receiving yards since Drake London did it in 2021. Even though Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith played for the No. 1 team in the country, Lemon made a strong case for the award. He faced tougher competition throughout the season and delivered when it mattered most.

Lemon posted five 100-yard receiving games, all in wins against Georgia Southern, Michigan State, No. 21 Illinois, Northwestern, and Iowa. USC’s biggest win of the season came against No. 18 Michigan on Oct. 11 at the Coliseum, and Lemon showed up in a big way. He caught nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Trojans’ 31–13 victory. Despite all the evidence pointing in Lemon’s favor, the loss didn’t sit well with the Buckeyes’ star receiver.

Jeremiah Smith’s cryptic frustration

Many Ohio State fans fully expected Jeremiah Smith to take home the Biletnikoff. Even though his numbers didn’t quite match Makai Lemon’s, the 19-year-old made a strong case with his impact, especially in the rivalry game against Michigan, and by helping put the Buckeyes in position for a potential Big Ten Championship win in Indianapolis. Still, it wasn’t enough.

And Smith didn’t exactly hide his frustration. After the results were announced, he shared a clip from the movie Paid in Full on X. It sent a pretty clear message that he felt snubbed for college football’s top receiver honor. When asked directly about it later, though, Smith stuck to the script, keeping his true feelings in check.

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“Just use it as motivation,” Smith said. “Can’t think too much of it. If that’s who they chose to win it, that’s who they chose to win it. Makai Lemon is a great receiver, had a great season. So can’t knock him for that.”

With Lemon declaring for the NFL Draft, the competition should thin out a bit for Smith moving forward. But how things shake out will depend on how he handles the rest of Ohio State’s season. And whether the Buckeyes can stay nationally relevant once again.

“He’s a great receiver,” Smith added. “Going to be a first-round draft pick, so I can’t really complain about it. I’ve got to worry about what’s in front of me, and that’s beating Miami.”

This year, across 11 regular-season games, Jeremiah Smith caught 72 passes for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns.