Drake London passes the torch to Jordan Addison at USC

The symmetry created by Jordan Addison’s arrival at USC is easy to identify.

Drake London was going to win the 2021 Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football before he got hurt at the end of October in a game against Arizona. Jordan Addison played the full season, leading Pittsburgh to the ACC championship and a date in the Peach Bowl, a New Year’s Six game. He won the Biletnikoff with London on the shelf with his injury.

Drake London was the first receiver off the board at the 2022 NFL draft, taken as a top-10 pick by the Atlanta Falcons. Jordan Addison won’t be the first receiver selected in the 2023 NFL draft, but he could definitely go in the top 10, just like London. (Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State is likely the first receiver to be picked next year.)

London and Addison, though owning different styles of play, are both game-changing wide receivers, the kinds of players who, no matter what the defense tries, can’t be stopped. They will get their 10 catches and 100-plus yards per game.

The torch has been passed from one great USC receiver to the next.