Top schools recognize top talents. But even when a program thinks it’s locked in its guy, nothing is set in stone. And that’s what happened with USC. 5-star QB Ryder Lyons was supposed to be their guy. With family ties and his initial inclination, fans thought it was a matter of “when” than “if” he’ll pledge his commitment. The same is for BYU. The school was able to impress the highly coveted 2026 prospect during his visit last November. Another deep family tie. But this is his mindset now, “I think I’m a little bit more open now.” That’s not exactly the answer Lincoln Riley and Kalani Sitake wanted to hear because the tide is shifting.
Ryder Lyons, a 6’2, 205-pound dual threat playmaker, has every major program vying for his commitment. In an X post on March 16, Steve Wiltfong gave fresh intel on his “top schools and upcoming visits.” He also pulled up another post he uploaded a few hours back which reported — “Oregon, USC, and BYU are top three for Folsom (Calif.) High 5-star QB Ryder Lyons but Michigan, Ole Miss and Ohio State are also prominent and he’s excited to make a round of spring visits.” But among these top schools, Dan Lanning and Oregon are emerging as the frontrunners.
Story: Ryder Lyons talks top schools and upcoming visits: https://t.co/5M2ij6X3re https://t.co/7UiJYR9Jsb
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) March 15, 2025
It’s not hard to see why Oregon holds the edge now. “Coach (Will) Stein, coach (Dan) Lanning, how they’re doing as a program, they’re just building and building,” Ryder Lyons said of the Ducks. “Me and coach Stein have a great relationship, probably the best out of any other coaches. They’ve been recruiting me the hardest probably, the whole time.”
NIL might be playing a factor here too with their partnership with Phil Knight and Nike but Lyons knows the story. “How they’re recruiting, a lot of people like to say it’s all Phil Knight money, but they don’t really understand how good they recruit.” And there’s another factor that entices any serious QB looking for a great culture — “Their culture is probably one of the best I’ve ever seen. How they play as a team, how they interact with each other.”
Oregon’s QB pedigree speaks for itself. Bo Nix turned a stellar college career into a first-round NFL pick. And Dan Lanning is only improving year by year in his three seasons going 10-3, 12-2, and 13-1. Can this upward trajectory lead to a national championship this season? Possible. If Ryder Lyons is looking for a place that develops QBs and competes for national titles, Eugene might just be the perfect spot. But we can’t ignore the fact that USC and BYU are still very much in the mix.
USC and BYU aren’t done with Ryder Lyons
Neither schools are going down without a fight. For USC, Lincoln Riley’s track record with QBs remains a major selling point. “Coach (Lincoln) Riley, three first picks in the NFL Draft, three Heismans, it’s very familiar,” Ryder Lyons said. “My brother goes there, they’ve been recruiting me for a while, so I don’t think there’s any QB coach in the country, to be honest. Coach Riley knows what he’s doing.” And then there’s BYU.
The Cougars may not have the same NFL pipeline as USC or the glitz of Oregon, but they have something just as powerful. “Also very familiar, my family went there, my sister’s went there, obviously a big part of my faith,” the No. 4 QB said. “Coach (Aaron) Roderick, coach (Kalani) Sitake, amazing people to talk to, great relationships with them. Great coaches, BYU had a huge year, 11 wins. A very good success rate with quarterbacks.” The nation’s No. 10 overall prospect plans to enroll in the spring of 2027 after taking an LDS mission after high school. But over the next two weeks, he’ll be on the road.
“In two weeks, I’m going to see Ole Miss, Michigan, and Ohio State,” he told Wiltfong. “Then I’ll see BYU on spring break, Oregon on spring break and then I’ll go to USC’s spring game.” With Ryder Lyons’ recruitment open, one thing is clear — Lincoln Riley and Kalani Sitake are officially on high alert.
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