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5-star QB Ryder Lyons visiting USC Trojans

hunterby: Hunter Shelton03/27/25HunterShelton_
Recruiting Q&A - 2025-03-16T085614.203
EJ Holland/On3

Folsom (Calif.) five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons is getting a look at some of his top schools this spring and that includes USC.

The Trojans are heavily in the mix for the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder and are working hard to keep him in the Golden State at the next level. Lyons returned to campus on Thursday to get a look at spring practice.

USC already has a loaded recruiting class that’s pushing for the top spot in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Head coach Lincoln Riley is always on the hunt for his next great QB, and Lyons could fit that mold in the 2026 cycle.

When speaking with On3’s Steve Wiltfong earlier this month, Lyons tabbed USC, as well as Oregon and BYU, as his top three schools right now.

“Coach (Lincoln) Riley, three first picks in the NFL Draft, three Heismans, it’s very familiar, my brother goes there, they’ve been recruiting me for a while, so I don’t think there’s any better QB coach in the country, to be honest. Coach Riley knows what he’s doing,” Lyons said.

Lyons, who will take an LDS mission following high school and enroll in the spring of 2027, ranks as the nation’s No. 10 overall prospect and No. 4 QB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the top-ranked player in California.

Visits to Ole Miss, Michigan and Ohio State are up next on the docket this spring for Lyons.

Coach’s Take on Ryder Lyons

Quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez said this about Lyons to On3:

“I just think he’s a phenomenal athlete. You take a look at a kid who, he has a basketball background. It’s not that he’s a superstar in the basketball court or anything, but you do see a guy that’s very athletic. So he’s able to just create. He’s one that, yes, he could use his legs to end up, having a 50 yard run out there, but he’s also going to do a real good job using his legs just to create space and buy just a little bit more time to end up making a big play down field. That’s something that is pretty common that you’d see on him. If there was a Heisman trophy that would go out to high school football, you would imagine that Ryder would definitely be in the mix for that just with his style of play. He’s just a big-time play maker, and it comes very natural to him too. So that’s that’s the awesome part.”