"I'm a little bit more open now": USC freshman Walker Lyons' brother Ryder Lyons hints potential commitment to Big Ten powerhouse over the Trojans

Five-star quarterback prospect Ryder Lyons has hinted at a shift of priority from USC, where his brother Walker Lyons is a freshman, to Oregon. Lyons revealed this shift in his recruitment process during a chat with rivals.com, following the Rivals’ Los Angeles Camp.

Asked whether the Trojans were still the leading program in his recruitment, he said,

“I would say that has been fair. Maybe not as much anymore. That could be fair, but I’m a little bit more open now.”

USC has had intense competition for Lyons coming from BYU, Ole Miss, Ohio State, and Oregon. However, when asked which of the programs he is most in constant communication with, he responded,

“Oregon… pretty much all the time. Coach Lanning, Coach Sein… pretty great relationship with those two, my whole family, which is pretty incredible. The big thing with Oregon is, how long is Coach Stein going to be there?”

Important factors in Ryder Lyons’ recruitment

Ryder Lyons has highlighted the important factors he’s considering in his recruitment in an earlier interview with On3. He said,

“It’s my relationship with the coaches that’s the biggest thing to me. Then kind of the whole culture of their program. I want to go somewhere where I feel loved, but I'm also going to be pushed. I want a good environment—somewhere I want to work, somewhere I want to put all my efforts in.”

Lyons also pointed out that NIL will play an important factor in his recruitment. He noted,

“You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities that are there, obviously. Anyone who says they’re not is lying. But that’s an important thing—you've got to make sure they’re invested in you. I think that’s the way to look at it for NIL. When you’re talking about however much they’re willing to pay you, I guess, is how much they really believe in you; how much they are invested in you.”

However, he added that his goal remained to reach the NFL, where he believes more money is. He said,

“But that’s not the most important thing. That’s all good money; the more money is the NFL.”

Ryder Lyons is the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, while he’s the No. 4 quarterback. He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 pounds. The standout quarterback is a product of Folsom High School in Folsom, California.