Ja'Kobi Lane identified as USC's player to watch in 2025 by David Pollack

USC brought back both of their top-two leading receivers from a season ago. However, David Pollack expects WR Ja’Kobi Lane, WR2 last year, to make a case as WR1 this fall.

Pollack named his players to watch for this season in the Big Ten in a recent episode of ‘See Ball, Get Ball’. He, when it came to the Trojans, went with Lane going into his junior year in Los Angeles.

“I’m going Ja’Kobi Lane, numero ocho,” said Pollack.

Lane, in 19 appearances as an underclassman for Southern Cal, has posted 50 receptions for 618 yards and 14 touchdowns. That includes 43 catches for 525 yards, averaging 40.4 per game and 12.2 per reception, and 12 receiving scores in 2024. He may have been behind Makai Lemon (52 receptions for 764 yards) in catches and yardage along with Zachariah Branch (47 reception for 503 yards) in catches but the dozen receiving scores were the most touchdowns scored by anyone last season for USC, were the most in the conference behind only Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (15), and were tied for fourth-most among all receivers in the NCAA.

Lane ended the season combining for 10 receptions for 153 yards and six touchdowns in the team’s final two games against No. 5 Notre Dame and Texas A&M. His outing in the Las Vegas Bowl against the Aggies, a 35-31 win for USC, was a career-best performance for him, being the Trojans’ leading receiver with seven catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns. That’s the evidence for Pollack of what Lane could continue his development into, especially with a full offseason with the passes being thrown by QB Jayden Maiava.

“If you watched him last year? Listen, Lincoln Riley didn’t forget how to coach offense. I think another year with a quarterback – that, by the way, I saw plenty of flashes of really, really good (but) I need less mistakes but a year in the system I think helps. But, Ja’Kobi Lane, dude. He only had 500 yards receiving a year ago but he had 12 (touchdowns), and he was the big play threat,” said Pollack. “He is 6’4”. You know, he can make those big plays. And, more importantly if you’re USC, you saw this. You saw a guy that, when the receivers all ducked and left in the transfer portal, and they dipped in the Las Vegas Bowl? Dude went off. He had seven for 127 and three touchdowns.”

“I think you saw your future number-one wide receiver,” Pollack stated. “You need that if you’re Lincoln Riley. You’ve got to have that guy and he’s that guy.”

Lane will have to match or exceed that production again at receiver to match this selection of him by Pollack. If he does, though, the Trojans could have a breakout wideout for their offense if he adds the rest of the receiving stats and continues to find the end zone in LA.