Latest news with #RyderLyons
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
5-star quarterback prospect Ryder Lyons has committed to BYU
Cold Hearts quarterback Ryder Lyons throws a pass during an OT7 Week 4 game against RWE, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Dallas. | Tony Gutierrez, Associated Press BYU just earned one of its biggest recruiting wins in program history. Consensus five-star quarterback prospect Ryder Lyons has committed to the Cougars, he announced Tuesday on ESPN's 'The Pat McAfee Show.' 247 Sports ranks Lyons as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 19 overall recruit in the country. He chose BYU over competing offers from Oregon, USC, Ole Miss and more than 20 other Power Four programs. Advertisement The 2024 California Gatorade Player of the Year, Lyons threw for 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns as a junior at Folsom High this past season, while adding another 585 yards and 15 scores on the ground. 'Lyons is an exceptional talent and has been one of the top quarterbacks in the region since his sophomore year,' wrote Greg Biggins of 247 Sports. '... (He is) accurate to all three levels of the field and throws the deep ball with touch and can rip fastballs into tight windows. (He is) equally dangerous when a play breaks down and has to improvise off-script. '... A highly competitive player with a strong off the field work ethic and draws raves from his coaches and teammates for his leadership skill. (Lyons) has one of the highest ceilings among the quarterback group in his class and assuming he continues to develop, (he) should be playing on Sundays for a very long time.' Advertisement Lyons' 0.9901 247 Sports composite score is the third-highest mark in BYU history, trailing only fellow five-star quarterback Ben Olson and offensive lineman Ofa Mohetau. Lyons plans on serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to enrolling at BYU. Once he does arrive in Provo, he is widely believed to be capable of becoming the next great Cougars QB, the face of the program and one of the true stars within the sport. What BYU's 2026 recruiting class currently looks like
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
College football recruiting reset: Taking stock of blue-chip quarterbacks in Class of 2026
June, as expected, delivered some significant developments across the recruiting landscape, with programs such as Alabama, Michigan and Florida making significant leaps the national rankings. With the final five-star quarterback off the board — Ryder Lyons committed to BYU — it's a good time to take stock of where things stand with the blue-chip QBs in the 2026 cycle. Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite. Advertisement 1. Jared Curtis, Nashville (Tenn.) Christian School Ranking: No. 1 QB, No. 4 overall Status: Committed to Georgia 2. Faizon Brandon, Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley Ranking: No. 2 QB, No. 6 overall Status: Committed to Tennessee 3. Dia Bell, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage Ranking: No. 3 QB, No. 13 overall Status: Committed to Texas 4. Keisean Henderson, Spring (Texas) Legacy the School of Sport Sciences Ranking: No. 4 QB, No. 18 overall Status: Committed to Houston 5. Ryder Lyons, Folsom (Calif.) High Ranking: No. 5 QB, No. 19 overall Status: Committed to BYU Notes: Lyons was the last player in this group to pick a school, announcing last week his commitment to BYU. He plans on serving a one-year mission, so even though he's in the 2026 class, he's essentially a 2027 prospect. The Cougars beat out Oregon for Lyons. The Ducks responded by taking a pledge from Bryson Beaver, a three-star prospect from Southern California who generated quite a bit of buzz after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in June. The other notable news from this group over the past month is that Henderson has shut down his recruitment. He originally had an official visit to Florida State scheduled but canceled that trip. Curtis committed to Georgia over Oregon in early May. There's been no drama with Brandon's recruitment. Bell was named MVP of the Elite 11 Finals. 6. Landon Duckworth, Jackson (Ala.) High Ranking: No. 6 QB, No. 51 overall Status: Uncommitted 7. Jake Fette, El Paso (Texas) Del Valle Ranking: No. 7 QB, No. 76 overall Status: Committed to Arizona State Blessed to announce my commitment to Arizona State University!! Excited to continue to pursue my dream as a Sun devil #ForksUp — Jake Fette (@jake_fette1) September 23, 2024 8. Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park (Calif.) High Ranking: No. 8 QB, No. 83 overall Status: Committed to Michigan 9. Jonas Williams, Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln-Way East Ranking: No. 9 QB, No. 92 overall Status: Committed to USC 10. Bowe Bentley, Celina (Texas) High Ranking: No. 10 QB, No. 94 overall Status: Committed to Oklahoma Notes: Duckworth committed to South Carolina in August 2023 but reopened his recruitment in June. It would not be a surprise if he committed to the Gamecocks again. His finalists are South Carolina and Auburn, but the Tigers flipped four-star Peyton Falzone from Penn State last week. Advertisement Fette seems solid with Arizona State. Same with Williams and USC. Smigiel committed to Michigan in April. Bentley committed to Oklahoma over LSU on June 20. Four-star prospect Jaden O'Neal had been committed to Oklahoma — and left his high school in Southern California and transferred to Mustang High in Oklahoma — but he backed off that pledge on June 19. The next day, Bentley committed. The two events were no doubt related. 11. Noah Grubbs, No. 174 overall, Notre Dame commit 12. Oscar Rios, No. 184 overall, Arizona commit Arizona scored a significant recruiting win against UCLA when it received Rios' pledge on Friday. He is a Southern California native, so UCLA was viewed by some as the favorite. But Wildcats offensive coordinator Seth Doege continues to be one of the more under-the-radar quarterback recruiters in the country and helped Arizona notch a much-needed win. Meanwhile, the Bruins still don't have a quarterback in their 2026 class. 13. Dereon Coleman, No. 203 overall, Miami Commit 14. Jaden O'Neal, No. 205 overall, Florida State commit O'Neal visited Florida State in April and June, so the Seminoles made sense when he was looking for a new landing spot. 15. Will Griffin, No. 216 overall, Florida commit 16. Jett Thomalla, No. 232 overall, Alabama commit Thomalla committed to Iowa State in mid-April, but that marriage was short-lived. Alabama offered on May 15, and he flipped to the Crimson Tide on June 17. 17. Helaman Casuga, No. 235 overall, Texas A&M commit 18. Peyton Falzone, No. 246 overall, Auburn commit Falzone, a Pennsylvania native, committed to Penn State in April but surprisingly flipped to Auburn last week. This was an important addition for the Tigers, who have only seven commitments as of the end of June. The Nittany Lions lost a blue-chip QB commit but already have four-star Troy Huhn committed in this class, so they should be OK at the position. Advertisement 19. Kayd Coffman, No. 259 overall, Michigan State commit 20. Troy Huhn, No. 270 overall, Penn State commit 21. Matt Ponatoski, No. 280 overall, uncommitted Kentucky seems to be the favorite for Ponatoski. He also visited Oregon recently, but the Ducks landed Beaver. The Wildcats, assuming Ponatoski commits, will also have to hold off Major League Baseball. He was the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year in both football and baseball and is expected to be drafted later this month. 22. Tait Reynolds, No. 283 overall, Clemson commit 23. Briggs Cherry, No. 334 overall, Louisville commit 24. Luke Fahey, No. 356 overall, uncommitted For a bit, Indiana and Stanford were viewed as the main contenders for Fahey, but Ohio State offered on June 22. He is set to announce his commitment on Thursday, and the Buckeyes seemingly have the momentum here. The Hoosiers also took a commitment from three-star QB Cash Herrera a week ago, so the writing might be on the wall. 25. Tayden Kaawa, No. 368 overall, uncommitted Alabama offered a few weeks ago and seems to be the leader for Kaawa. 26. Gavin Sidwar, No. 383 overall, Missouri commit 27, Derek Zammit, No. 415 overall, Washington commit (Photo of Bowe Bentley: Naomi Skinner / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ryder Lyons Turns Heads With Major Exposure For BYU Decision
Ryder Lyons Turns Heads With Major Exposure For BYU Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. BYU Football made a monumental splash on the recruiting trail Tuesday by snagging five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. The Folsom (California) signal-caller is the highest-rated recruit in program history. Lyons chose BYU over national powers, including Oregon and USC. Advertisement The announcement came live on ESPN's 'The Pat McAfee Show,' sending shockwaves through the recruiting world. Lyons became the first five-star prospect to commit to BYU since 247Sports began ranking recruits in 2010. He is also the No. 13 overall player and No. 4 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. 'They were the first ones to offer me, back in eighth grade,' Lyons said on the show. 'They believed in me early. It's crazy how it all comes full circle.' McAfee is known for his energetic commentary and praised Lyons' maturity and leadership. 'You're a beast,' he said. 'The way you spin it, the way you run and lead your team. It's why every college in the country wants you.' Advertisement Lyons won't be in Provo until 2027 and plans to serve an LDS mission before enrolling at BYU. He spoke candidly about navigating the complexities of NIL opportunities at a young age. He already has an agent and a full support team who navigates every move. 'It's confusing,' Lyons admitted. 'You're thrown a lot of money from a lot of different places. But you've got to stay humble. The goal is to make it to the NFL. That's where the real money is.' McAfee tipped his cap to Lyons' perspective. 'He's like a 45-year-old,' McAfee said. 'He gets it. He's mature enough to handle the attention and the pressure.' Advertisement Lyons also discussed his plans to submit mission paperwork in August. McAfee reflected on his past conversations with former BYU star Austin Collie, his teammate on the Indianapolis Colts, about LDS missions and culture. 'I believe it's a huge honor... A calling from God,' McAfee said. Lyons responded, 'That is it.' Related: AJ Dybantsa denies $7 million payout from BYU The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Lyons is coming off a dominant junior season at Folsom High, where he earned California Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He threw for 3,011 yards, 46 touchdowns and just six interceptions, while also rushing for 585 yards and 14 touchdowns. Advertisement Related: BYU Football Beats Out Oregon For Five-Star QB Ryder Lyons' Commitment With Lyons' pledge, BYU's 2026 class jumped from No. 46 to No. 38 in the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings. The class already includes top-100 prospects Brock Harris, a tight end from St. George, Utah, and offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo from American Fork. Harris picked BYU over Georgia and Alabama, while Mulitalo is set to be the first top-100 offensive lineman to sign with BYU under head coach Kalani Sitake. BYU enters 2025 with its most talent-rich recruiting class in modern program history. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill Sends Blunt Message to Players in New NIL Era
BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill Sends Blunt Message to Players in New NIL Era originally appeared on Athlon Sports. BYU football hosted its Media Day golf tournament at Cedar Hills Golf Club on Monday. The mix of current BYU players and coaches, former BYU players, and other members of the BYU community came together right before the Cougars pulled in the program's top recruit, five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. Advertisement The BYU coach who will get the best read on the phenom signal-caller in two years is Jay Hill. The Cougars defensive coordinator took time out of his busy schedule to talk about the offseason with ESPN the Fan in Salt Lake City. He was asked an array of questions, including his set up going into fall camp. With the new era of college athletics, some players have come to the table wanting opportunities handed to them. However, Hill doesn't subscribe to that type of thought process when it comes to his defensive scheme. "We had guys come to me saying, 'Coach, I need to know I'm the starter.' And I said, 'Be the starter. Earn it,'" Hill said. "I'm not guaranteeing anything. That's not fair to the 105 other guys fighting for that spot. If you want to be built for the NFL, you can't expect guarantees. If you can't beat out the guys at BYU, how are you going to make it in the NFL?" When head coach Kalani Sitake hired Hill away from Weber State, everybody knew the level of expectations and it hadn't changed in Provo. As the Cougars moved over to the Big 12, the strength between the two coaches grew and they now know they're building a better program from the inside out. It's the NFL model with a college touch of consistency. While some players want a guarantee, Hill wants talented playmakers who will work at being the 'next man up'. Related: Top tight end picks BYU over several Power Four programs "Last year, the sum was greater than the individual parts," Hill admitted. "That's a great defense. We had smart guys doing their jobs and trusting each other. I thought we played very good defense. Recruiting is getting better each year. The Big 12 helps. Our depth is stronger. Yeah, we lost some key guys—Batty, Blake Mangelson, John Nelson, Jakob Robinson—but I don't think enough people understand how good they were. Still, we're just scratching the surface of what BYU can be talent-wise." Advertisement Related: Ryder Lyons Turns Heads With Major Exposure For BYU Decision BYU opens the season on August 30 against Portland State at 8 p.m. ET. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ty Goettsche Opens Up About Five-Star QB Ryder Lyons, BYU's Surge (Exclusive)
Ty Goettsche Opens Up About Five-Star QB Ryder Lyons, BYU's Surge (Exclusive) originally appeared on Athlon Sports. BYU ramped up recruiting efforts last week with five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons announcing he would be headed to Provo part of the 2026 recruiting class. This news is exciting for the Cougars' future but means more for the receiving corps, including tight end Ty Goettsche. Advertisement The three-star talent was one of the first members of BYU's class next year, which has the potential to be one of the best in school history. Goettsche committed at a time when his stock was rising. Despite receiving several offers from notable powerhouse programs, he was connected to coach Kalani Sitake and his staff by faith. "Coach is super supportive of his athletes wanting to serve missions," Goettsche said. "That's a big part of why I chose BYU." Goettsche was one of the nation's fastest rising prospects with 21 offers on the table. Most of those came in a two-month period, but there was a simple choice after his official visit. He's also in the process of developing a relationship with his future quarterback and can't wait to be on campus with him and fellow tight end Brock Harris. "I'm super excited to have (Lyons) as a quarterback," Goettsche said. "Ryder is an amazing athlete. He's a 5-star for a reason and super talented. He makes plays and is a great leader. On my official visit, we spent a lot of time together and he's a great guy. I feel like we'll have great chemistry together and make a big impact on BYUs offense." Advertisement At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Goettsche has tons of upside as a receiver. He's an athletic blocker with an outstanding catch radius. Also, his dual background as a basketball player is a plus in offseason conditioning. Goettsche might be raw but he'll develop into a go-to target in any offensive scheme. Add a quarterback like Lyons into the equation and it opens up the possibilities on many levels. The surge in BYU Football comes at a time with Kevin Young and BYU Basketball taking center stage. After pulling in the nation's top recruit AJ Dybantsa and going on a Sweet 16 run, the hype is real for next season. Goettsche would entertain the idea of playing both sports for the Cougars, but that's not his focus right now. Related: BYU Defensive Coordinator Jay Hill Sends Blunt Message to Players in New NIL Era "It'll be really good for BYU having all the attention with Dybantsa," Goettsche said. "I'll definitely be at all of the games for sure and can't wait to see him play In person." Advertisement For now, the plan for Goettsche is to play one year and serve a two-year mission following his freshman year. There's a good chance he'll get bumped up to being a four-star by all the publications before getting settled in Provo. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
