Three Make-or-Break Games for Terrell Anderson’s NFL Draft Stock

The USC Trojans have produced an NFL wide receiver in six of the last seven draft classes.

Makai Lemon represents the latest first round talent to come out of the land of troy. Jordan Addison and Drake London landed on night one of the NFL Draft before Lemon in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Terrell Anderson arrives in a prime situation following his transfer from North Carolina State. Anderson is fueling his own NFL hype ahead of playing for coach Lincoln Riley. But he’ll need to dominate against these three teams to boost his stock.

Sept. 4 vs. Fresno State

It’s old Pac-12 versus new Pac-12 for this Friday night showdown. While Anderson faces a mid-major challenge here, Fresno State presents lots of hurdles for him.

For starters, he faces the 16th-best defense from the 2025 season. The Bulldogs run a five-man defensive back look that bottles big play opportunities and keeps plays in front of them.

Secondly, Fresno State features Matt Entz as head coach, who known coach Lincoln Riley’s offense well. Entz served as linebackers coach under Riley in the 2024 season before taking over the Bulldogs.

The new Pac-12 representative rises as the first challenge for Anderson. Riley will need to find ways to get Anderson going early in setting the tone for his offense. Either seniors Jomarion Briggs or Simeon Harris will face Anderson the most. Although the latter is the more decorated defender as a nickelback with earning All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention honors.

Sept. 26 vs. Oregon

The first major Big Ten challenge for Anderson arrives in late September.

Ducks cornerback Brandon Finney will likely lock in on Anderson, especially in man coverage as Oregon coach Dan Lanning won’t hesitate to unleash press coverage on USC. Finney rises as the first major cornerback challenge for the former ACC wideout.

Furthermore, Oregon had USC’s number in the 2025 meeting. The Ducks especially handed Lemon one of his worst games of 2025 with bottling him to only 34 receiving yards.

But Anderson can pick the brain of Ja’Kobi Lane and even new teammate Tanook Hines here, as both combined for 12 receptions for 249 yards in last season’s loss. Anderson going off on the Ducks will grab the attention of NFL scouts, and perhaps spark early draft entry chatter.

Nov. 14 at Indiana

Ohio State no doubt will challenge Anderson on Halloween night. But that’s a Buckeyes team that’s missing Caleb Downs in the secondary, plus the front seven trio of Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald.

Indiana earns the nod as the third and final make-or-break challenge for Anderson off two reasons: IU holding the national title crown and this game taking place at Bloomington. Hoosier fans will be louder than ever especially for this game likely carrying Big Ten title game implications.

The Hoosiers won’t counter with scrappy cornerback D’Angelo Ponds off to the NFL. But leading safety Amare Ferrell returns. Plus IU adds Wisconsin transfer Preston Zachman to keep opposing wideouts from beating them deep. Returning senior cornerback Jamari Sharpe joins Penn State transfer in forming a 6-1 tandem on the perimeter.

Anderson shredding the champs for 100 yards or higher will significantly boost his stock. And potentially turn him into the second transfer wideout to land in the first round since Addison.

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