"The drill is simple. Just a basic throw-and-catch warm-up, called "Pat-and-Go," that USC and many other football programs do virtually every day. Quarterbacks loosen their arms, while pass catchers get their legs warm, running routes on air. It's the sort of drill where it's easy enough to slough off a rep or two. Or to get a little casual, like playing catch in the yard."
"But when Makai Lemon lines up during Pat-and-Go, there is nothing casual about what comes next. Every rep is taken seriously, every reception reeled in with intention. The junior has taken thousands of these reps, caught thousands of these passes over three seasons at USC, each filed away as a data point for Lemon to later access. "I don't know that I've ever seen one he didn't catch game-like," USC coach Lincoln Riley says. "Rarely does he ever take a rep that isn't very intentional.""
Makai Lemon approaches every practice rep with intense focus and deliberate technique, treating even routine warm-ups like Pat-and-Go as game-like repetitions. He has taken thousands of passes over three seasons at USC, storing each reception as a data point to refine timing, route-running, and hand skills. The consistency and intentionality in practice have translated into exceptional reliability as a receiver and projected first-round NFL draft status. Lemon maintains a low public profile and prefers to concentrate on team goals, prioritizing a College Football Playoff berth before transitioning to the professional level. Family anecdotes emphasize his early, singular focus.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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