"I'll compete with anyone": Sherrone Moore's new QB target Ryder Lyons opens up about fitting in with Bryce Underwood at Michigan

Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons will not shy away from competing for a starting role. The Michigan target revealed this in an interview with On3’s EJ Holland.

As the Wolverines are rising up in the quarterback’s recruitment, questions about his chances of starting with Bryce Underwood already in the picture have been surfacing. Addressing this, he said:

“I’m technically a 2027, so it could work. I could learn under him during his third year and then come in. You want to come in with the best and compete against the best. Why not? He’s obviously very talented, but I’d be okay with whatever that means. I’ll compete with anyone.”

Lyons’ destination for college is still a subject of much speculation. However, some schools have emerged as the top contenders for California’s top 2026 prospect.

The USC Trojans were the clear leaders at one point. However, Lincoln Riley has since flipped four-star quarterback Jonas Williams, giving other programs an advantage in Lyons’ recruitment.

In the past few months, the Michigan Wolverines have emerged as the new favorites in Ryder Lyons’ recruitment. However, they have other programs, including Oregon and BYU, hard on their heels in the race.

Notwithstanding, in their latest predictions, recruiting analysts at Rivals.com Adam Gorney and Sam Spiegelman tipped the Wolverines to land Lyons.

Sherrone Moore and his staff have made it clear to the Folsom (CA) quarterback that he is a priority for them. He provided a peek into the state of things between him and the Wolverines coach in the chat with Holland. He said:

“Coach Sherrone Moore and Coach (Chip) Lindsey have really been trying to build a relationship with me. As soon as Coach Lindsey got the job, he made it clear that I’m their No. 1 guy. Their message is that I’m a top guy and they want me bad. They believe in me.”

When is Ryder Lyons’ college freshman year?

Although he’s a Class of 2026 prospect, Lyons will not be immediately available for any team he commits to. This is because he’s scheduled to embark on an LDS mission after high school.

Hence, his freshman season will be in 2027. By then, Underwood will be in his third season for the Wolverines and likely be draft-eligible. Asked how this might impact his career, he said:

“That’s my faith and belief in Jesus Christ. That’s my rock and my everything. I feel like I have to sacrifice.”

Ryder Lyons is the No. 4 quarterback in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.