With Dylan Raiola out for the rest of the season, it's a safe bet that the Nebraska football team will need to lean on its defense. Count Ceyair Wright among those who are poised to step up even more, even while the veteran defensive back has already been a stellar pass coverage option for the Huskers.
One need look no further than what Wright has done against one of the best receivers in the game, two years in a row, to see what he can do. Last weekend, Makai Lemon came to town looking to torch NU. Just like last year, the USC wideout was absolutely handcuffed. For the second straight year, he posted a career-worst outing.
Nebraska football's Ceyair Wright silences USC’s Makai Lemon for second straight year
Wright, who obviously has some added incentive to play well against USC, once again showed that he's become Nebraska's lockdown corner. On Saturday night, he held Lemon to just 2 catches for 18 yards. That follows the two teams' 2024 clash, where Lemon posted just 2 catches for 15 yards. It's not just that those are the two lowest yardage outputs of the Trojans' star receiver's career. It's what he's done in every game that isn't against the Huskers.
In his last 16 games for USC, Lemon has posted less than 60 yards receiving twice. Both against NU.
Coming into Saturday night's game, Lemon was averaging 108 yards per game for the 2025 season. He's got 50 catches (in the top 20 in the nation) for 776 yards and 6 touchdowns. Just 4 of his 108 career catches have come against Nebraska. Thanks almost entirely to Ceyair Wright matching up with him in both showdowns.
Wright has been a blessing after coming to the Huskers last summer as a late addition. He departed the USC program and brought a bit of a reputation with him, but he's proved that rep to be wrong.
Nebraska coaches have heaped praise on him, and he's quickly become the team's best cornerback. Now, as the team tries not to limp to the finish line with three regular-season games to go, Wright will need to keep stepping up and showing what he can do.