Ryder Lyons has all of the necessary tools to develop into a generational quarterback. The five-star prospect from Folsom, California has set Tuesday, June 24th as the date he will announce his college commitment. After cancelling a recent trip to USC, the general view is he’s essentially choosing between BYU and Oregon. Here are the top five reasons why he should commit to Kalani Sitake’s program.
Reason No. 1: The potential for legend status in Provo
With his .9901 composite grade from 247 Sports, Ryder Lyons would be the third highest ranked commit in BYU program history, and the team’s highest since 2003. He would be welcomed to Provo as a conquering hero even before taking his first snap. Ryder Lyons would be adored by the passionate BYU fan base for choosing the Cougars.
While Oregon fans would no doubt be thrilled to land Lyons, he would also be “just another five-star recruit” in a program that, with Phil Knight’s deep pockets, signs several of them every year. Ryder Lyons’ ability to achieve all-time legend status at BYU could be a factor.
Reason No. 2: BYU builds NFL quarterbacks
BYU is known as “Quarterback U” for a reason. A 2022 profile from FiveThirtyEight statistically shows that BYU quarterbacks have been “the best of the last half century” in college football. And the success in Provo translates to the NFL.
Taysom Hill is an NFL gadget player now but has thrown for 2,369 career yards while completing 64% of his passes. BYU’s last three starting quarterbacks - Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall, and Kedon Slovis - all went on to have NFL careers.
Over the last couple of years BYU’s staff, facilities, and resources available to players have been massively improved. Behind Big 12 revenues and generous boosters, BYU can compete with any program when it comes to coaching, development, strength, and nutrition. Ryder Lyons likely has ambitions to be a first round NFL pick one day, and BYU has a history of getting quarterbacks to the NFL.
Reason No. 3: BYU can make the College Football Playoff
Let's just call it like it is: If Ryder Lyons wants to win a national championship, the more likely program to get him there is Oregon. The Ducks finished 2019 ranked No. 5, 2023 No. 6, and last year No. 2 after losing to Ohio State in the CFP quarterfinals. Oregon has been close but still hasn't actually won a national championship, unlike BYU, which was the consensus national champion back in 1984.
That said, BYU has as good of a chance of any Big 12 program to make the College Football Playoffs in any given year. Last year they finished the season tied for first place in the Big 12 and only missed out on playing in the conference championship game because of tiebreak rules. BYU finished last year ranked No. 13 nationally and was probably the biggest snub from the 2024 playoffs.
BYU's 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes are among the best in program history, and the future is bright for the Cougars. If the playoffs expand to 16 teams, a Ryder Lyons-led BYU squad could be in contention every year.
Reason No. 4: BYU understands missions
Ryder has stated that he will serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No program in the nation understands like BYU does how to help players get back into game shape, mentally and physically, upon returning home from full-time missionary service. If he wants to hit the ground running after his mission, Provo is the place.
Reason No. 5: BYU’s academics
While college will be one step in Ryder's long-term NFL goals, education matters to him. He is reportedly a straight A student who plays three musical instruments. In a recent Youtube documentary, one of the items hanging on Ryder’s wall was a hand-written list of goals which included “4.0 GPA”.
BYU 5-star recruit Ryder Lyons has these goals hanging in his room as seen in his new YouTube documentary. Wherever this kid goes, he’s got his head on straight! pic.twitter.com/Ghm2AvQ3By
— Diggin’ Brigham (@DigginBrigham) June 10, 2025
Last year BYU was ranked No. 1 nationally as the most highly recommended school by students and recent alumni. The Wall Street Journal ranked BYU as the No. 20 college in the nation. It's not uncommon for future professional athletes to major in business, and BYU's Marriott School is consistently among the tops in the nation. At BYU, Lyons can excel on the field while receiving a top-notch education, which will serve him well in life beyond football.
No matter where he attends college, Ryder has the potential to be a generational talent. He has the tools to take a program to the highest levels of college football before beginning what could be a successful NFL career.
After weighing some of the key factors that he will likely be considering in making his decision, I’m feeling more and more optimistic that Ryder Lyons will choose BYU.