Lincoln Riley addresses the status of Makai Lemon, Ja'Kobi Lane for USC in the Alamo Bowl

Bowl season is upon us. That means many of the top players from around the country whose team didn’t make the College Football Playoff are soon to opt out of their bowl games.

USC is one of the many team who’s waiting to find out if their top players are going to be in uniform during their bowl game. Set to face TCU in the Alamo Bowl, when asked, Lincoln Riley was non-committal when addressing his players, particularly Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane‘s statuses for the upcoming bowl.

“As we get a little bit closer, I think we would collectively make that decision,” Riley said. “And we’ve got some guys, obviously, that are looking to make decisions on this Bowl and if they’re turning pro, or how that’s going to play out,” Riley said. “So, I think that’ll clarify here in the next few weeks, but I don’t have any announcements as of right now.”

The two junior receivers are expected to be sought after in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, though they have the option to return to school for another season. If they don’t, opting out of the Alamo Bowl is a real possibility for both parties.

Lemon is the Big Ten’s leading receiver heading into the postseason, and is one of three wideouts in the conference to post 1,000-yard seasons in 2025. If he doesn’t play in the bowl game, Lemon will have ended the year with 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns. Ohio State‘s Jeremiah Smith and Rutgers‘ KJ Duff were the only other 1,000-yard receivers in the conference.

For Lane, he’s logged 49 receptions for 745 yards and four touchdowns during his junior season. As a sophomore in 2024, Lane had over 200 less receiving yards but had a knack for finding the end zone with 12 touchdowns. In three seasons, Lane has recorded 99 receptions for 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s played his whole career for the Trojans.

The pair of wideouts are responsible for 55% (1,901) of quarterback Jayden Maiava‘s 3,431 passing yards this season. That also includes the pair being on the receiving end of 15 of his 23 touchdown passes.

Kickoff between the Trojans and Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl is set for Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 9 p.m. ET live on ESPN. For now, it remains to be seen who won’t suit up for USC during that matchup.