Ryder Lyons, 5-Star QB, Commits to BYU Over Oregon, More in Pat McAfee Show Video

BYU has landed one of the top quarterbacks in the Class of 2026.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Ryder Lyons committed to the Cougars on Tuesday, choosing BYU over Oregon, USC, Ole Miss and more.

Lyons explained that he will not be playing for BYU as a true freshman because he will spend the year serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Lyons, a Folsom, California, native, is considered to be the No. 19 player nationally, the No. 5 quarterback in the country and the No. 5 player in California by 247Sports' composite rankings.

Along with BYU, Oregon, USC and Ole Miss, he drew interest from Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and other top programs.

Lyons was the 2024 California Gatorade Player of the Year, picking up 3,011 passing yards, 46 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 585 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He led Folsom High School to the Northern California championship game.

He went to Auburn for an unofficial visit last summer and had two unofficial visits with BYU last fall. More recently, he visited Oregon and BYU in June. Ultimately, he decided to go with Kalani Sitake and the Cougars.

BYU hasn't made too much progress on the recruiting trail for the class of 2026 so far, landing a pair of 4-star recruits along with a slew of 3-stars. As they look to add more talent, the addition of Lyons will certainly be persuading for interested players.

BYU is coming off one of its best seasons under Sitake, going 11-2 and coming up just short of a College Football Playoff appearance. The Cougars will look to continue their rise to national contention in the coming years, and bringing in Lyons will make that task much easier.