College football analyst David Pollack makes his pick for USC player to watch in 2025
On an episode of See Ball Get Ball, college football analyst David Pollack and co-host Brent Rollins made their way through the Big Ten Conference, selecting the player on each team they are most excited to watch during the 2025 season. Pollack went with an expected standout on the offensive side of the ball and affirmed that the USC Trojans won’t take another step back there under head coach Lincoln Riley.
“Listen, Lincoln Riley didn’t forget how to coach offense,” Pollack said. “I think another year with a quarterback that, by the way, I saw plenty of flashes of really, really good. I need less mistakes, but a year in the system, I think helps.”
Pollack continued and made his pick of the player he’s most excited to see.
“But Ja’Kobi Lane,” Pollack said. “Dude. He only had 500 yards receiving a year ago but he had 12 tuddies. He was a big-play threat. He is 6-4. He can make those big plays and more importantly if you’re USC, you saw this. 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. So I think you saw your future No. 1 wide receiver. You need that if you’re Lincoln Riley. You’ve got to have that guy and he’s that guy.”
Lane made some of the best catches of the year for the Trojans, including phenomenal touchdown grabs against Wisconsin and Maryland. But he was inconsistent throughout the year. After posting a 10-catch, 105-yard, two-touchdown outing against Wisconsin, he caught just two passes each against Minnesota and Penn State the next two games. When quarterback Jayden Maiava stepped in as the starter against Nebraska, Lane didn’t record a catch and he caught just one pass the following week against UCLA.
It was a significant one as it went for a touchdown, and it started a strong run to close the season. But Lane definitely showed up in the bowl game against Texas A&M and put together a dominant performance that has many believing he could be a star this fall alongside fellow receiver Makai Lemon.
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Rollins, an analyst for UGASports.com Pro Football Focus, went to the other side of the ball.
“Since you said Lincoln Riley didn’t forget how to coach offense, I agree with that,” Rollins said. “So I went to the other side of the ball and Jahkeem Stewart. Freshman, Top-20 recruit. He’s 6-6, 250, edge guy. Can he make an immediate impact for them defensively, because they didn’t get him on the cheap.”
Stewart was a massive recruiting win for the Trojans and the freshman early enrollee was already showing he could line up to the hype during his first spring ball at USC. He’ll be part of a rebuilt and improved defensive line for defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn this fall.
