Ryder Lyons, the highly sought-after 5-star quarterback from the 2026 class, announced his commitment to BYU on June 24, 2025, choosing the Cougars over other top programs like Oregon and USC. His decision was heavily influenced by a unique combination of factors:

Deep Religious and Family Ties: Lyons is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), which owns and operates BYU. This strong alignment with his faith provides a comfortable and familiar environment. Furthermore, his father, Tim Lyons, played defensive back for BYU, and other family members have attended the university, creating a powerful generational connection to the program.

LDS Mission Plans: Lyons intends to serve a one-year LDS mission after graduating high school, delaying his college enrollment until 2027. BYU's program is uniquely equipped and highly experienced in accommodating missionary deferrals for its athletes, making it an ideal choice for players with similar plans. This understanding and support from the coaching staff and institution were crucial.

Early Belief and Consistent Recruitment: BYU was the first program to offer Lyons a scholarship back in 2021 when he was just in eighth grade. Lyons himself highlighted this early belief as a significant factor, stating, "They pulled the trigger on me, they believed in me early, and it's just crazy how it all comes full circle." This long-standing relationship and consistent recruitment effort clearly resonated with him.

Program Trajectory and Quarterback Development: BYU is coming off a strong 2024 season, finishing with an 11-2 record, which impressed Lyons. He expressed his desire to "win" and noted the program's positive "trajectory." BYU also has a rich history of developing successful quarterbacks, which likely appealed to Lyons's long-term goal of playing in the NFL. Despite being a private university with less transparency around NIL, BYU has clearly shown an ability to compete for top talent.

While other schools could offer high-level football and attractive NIL opportunities (Lyons acknowledged the "confusing" nature of NIL money but emphasized his focus on the NFL), the combination of faith, family heritage, BYU's unique ability to handle his mission, and the program's early and consistent belief in his talent ultimately led Ryder Lyons to choose the Cougars.

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