BYU made another major splash on the recruiting trail Tuesday with the addition of five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who chose the Cougars over a litany of heavyweight offers from programs like Oregon, USC and Ole Miss. Lyons is the first five-star to commit to BYU since 247Sports started rating prospects in 2010 and he’s the highest-rated recruit to make his pledge to the Cougars in the modern era. Taking in all of that context, Lyons’ commitment to BYU registers a 10 out of 10 in the Commitment Impact Score.
Lyons explained his decision on the “Pat McAfee Show.”
“They were the first ones (to offer me a scholarship) in eighth grade,” Lyons said. “They pulled the trigger on me. They believed in me early and it’s just crazy how it all comes full circle.”
A product of Folsom, California, Lyons took two unofficial visits to BYU during the 2024 season and officially visited the Cougars the weekend of June 19. Lyons, the No. 13 prospect nationally and No. 4 quarterback, was the highest-rated uncommitted quarterback left in the 2026 class prior to his announcement.
The 6-foot-2.5 and 220-pound Lyons earned 2024 California Gatorade Player of the Year honors after leading Folsom to an 11-2 record as a starter while throwing for 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also rushed 118 times for 585 yards and 14 touchdowns.
It may not take long for Lyons to have an impact on BYU’s football team when he arrives on campus, according to 247Sports’ evaluation:
A pure thrower with a live arm and understands how to change speeds and throw with anticipation. Accurate to all three levels of the field and throws the deep ball with touch and can rip fastballs in to tight windows. Equally dangerous when a play breaks down and has to improvise off-script. Elite in his ability to make multiple defenders miss and is creative in how he can buy time and make a throw down the field or take off and run for plus yards. He’s a tough kid who doesn’t shy away from contact and will take a shot but hang in the pocket to deliver the football. A highly competitive player with a strong off the field work ethic and draws raves from his coaches and teammates for his leadership skill. Has one of the highest ceilings among the quarterback group in his class and assuming he continues to develop, should be playing on Sunday’s for a very long time.
BYU amassing impressive 2026 haul
With Lyons in the fold, BYU’s 2026 recruiting class jumped from No. 46 to No. 38 in the 247Sports Team Composite Recruiting Rankings. With 14 commits already in the fold, the Cougars are on track to have their best high school signing haul since coach Kalani Sitake took over in 2016.
BYU now has three top-100 prospects committed, more than any other year in modern recruiting history. Lyons is joined by a pair of major in-state recruiting wins in tight end Brock Harris (St. George, Utah) and offensive lineman Bott Mulitalo (American Fork), who both committed in April.
Harris, the No. 67 prospect nationally and No. 5 tight end, chose BYU over the likes of Michigan, Georgia and Alabama while Mulitalo (No. 92 nationally) would be the first top-100 offensive lineman to sign with BYU in the Sitake era. Harris and Mulitalo also rank as the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects in the state of Utah, respectively.
Cougars thriving in NIL era
Lyons isn’t the first high-profile recruiting battle that BYU has won in recent months. The Cougars are firing on all cylinders in almost every major sport.
In December, BYU’s men’s basketball team beat a litany of blue-chip programs to sign AJ Dybantsa, the No. 2 prospect nationally in 2025. Shortly after Dybantsa’s decision, Royal Blue NIL — BYU’s NIL collective — released a statement lauding the efforts of BYU’s alumni base.
Court Report: The details on why AJ Dybantsa chose BYU and how much NIL money the No. 1 recruit is set to make
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“As the official NIL collective of BYU Athletics, we are glad to play a role in AJ’s NIL deal while he’s with the program,” the statement read. “The collective’s efforts are indeed collective. We are thankful for the 875 donors from more than 30 different states who have provided support to more than 300 BYU student-athletes across 13 teams. The collective has received major gifts from 32 alumni. We are grateful for the unprecedented ecosystem of BYU. The entrepreneurial DNA of Cougar Nation is unrivaled.”
Ryan Smith, a co-founder of Qualitrics and the owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, has been involved with his alma mater, though he stated on social media that he had no direct hand in landing Dybantsa and instead credited Cougars coach Kevin Young and the program he’s built. Young’s 2024-25 BYU team later made a run to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.
Regardless of who’s buying in, it’s clear that BYU has adapted well to the constantly shifting college athletics landscape.
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