2026 EDGE Tristan Lyles Talks Schools That Have Caught His Eye & What Makes Him Dominant
Tristan Lyles needs no introduction. He is a flat-out beast. Lyles is coming off an impactful season for the state-champion Central-Phenix City Red Devils. He played with WR Cam Coleman (Auburn), three-star WR Daylyn Upshaw, and a very talented Central team.
So what has Lyles accomplished on the field?
Lyles finished 2023 with 84 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 22 QB hurries and 16 sacks as a sophomore in his first season on varsity. There are so many things he does well and the scary thing is that he hasn’t even developed into his grown man body yet. In addition to winning a championship and beating 7A powerhouse Thompson, Lyles was named to the ASWA All-State team, OA News All-Area Defense, MaxPreps Sophomore All-American, Chatt Valley Sports Team, and more. The accolades are already a mile long.
"I put God first in everything I did. I came into the season with a dawg mindset. Anybody I go against just dominate. If the running back was going to cut back inside on me, I felt like I could depend on my teammates to make a play. I was just out there doing my thing,” said Lyles.
He credits a lot of his success to his dad.
“My dad has been coaching me six years old all the way until now. He’s my high school coach now. Basically, he’s been my coach my whole football career. “Coach Patrick Nix is a great head coach and Coach Hack is probably the two best coaches I have ever had. Coach Mitchell Holt and Coach Lyles, my dad push me to my best ability," said Lyles.
A part of his game that sets him apart is his quick first step and get-off. As soon as the snap happens more often than not Lyles is in the backfield on the quarterback disrupting the play.
“I would say my speed and my ability to get off and rush. I feel like my get-off is my best attribute. I feel like I can get around and make something shake. I’ve been training myself to have a good get-off. Every day in the morning me and my teammates (EDGES) work on our get-offs in the morning. We always work on get-offs. I feel like my first two steps will always be dominant,” said Lyles.
“I feel like studying my opponent and studying the offensive linemen knowing how they kick. Getting a game plan with my teammates, so we can go out there together and force him to go either right or left. I feel like that is what we did best, allowing each other to make plays."
An underrated aspect of his game is the strength and power that he possesses. When you look at his tape, Lyles isn’t just getting back there with his speed and quickness, but he also is bulldozing gigantic offensive linemen with his power. On some of the plays, you see the offensive tackle get pushed right back into the quarterback for a sack within seconds.
“Coming out of my hips and using my speed and power because people watching my film know I have a good get off. They know I have the ability to run past them. If they start kicking with me and get back on me, that is when I use my strength and pull them into the quarterback. In the run game, I can use my hips to come off the ball and strike them, seeing the block and making a play,” said Lyles.
In terms of recruiting the story is just being written for Lyles and he is enjoying the process. Currently, he has four offers from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and UAB. More top programs have shown interest and are calling for the star EDGE rusher, but a few schools have caught his eye early in the process.
“Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Florida, and Florida State. “I feel like my recruiting is just getting started. I feel like I am going to have more offers coming in after this season and hopefully after the spring. I am looking forward to it. I am going to attack this summer and the weight room. Attack everything so I can have a better season than last year and keep progressing,” said Lyles.
Here is what he had to say about each one:
Georgia Tech
“I love Georgia Tech. I love the facilities. Coach Pope was treating me well and showing me around and things like that. Coach Pope likes my get-off speed, and how I can use my hand swipes and things like that. I am looking forward to building a relationship with him in the future. I love the way Georgia Tech practices. The intensity was there and I loved it. I love the campus up there and being in Atlanta and things like that,” said Lyles.
Florida
“Coach Napier and Coach Peterson, I like them. They are trying to see how much I am going to grow and things like that. I think they are going to come down for spring, where I can compete.
Other schools Lyles has been to.
Alabama
“I like Alabama. They treated me well up there. I had a few teammates go up there with me including Donovan Crow, a 2026 running back. I like the way they practice. I feel like they attack practice very well,” said Lyles.
Ole Miss
“I got to talk to coach Randall Joyner and he said he was going to come down for spring and watch me and my other teammates compete. I am going to be back down there soon,” said Lyles.
Auburn
“I like Auburn. I went to camp and enjoyed watching Cam Coleman go out there and compete. It just made me feel like it was a good campus. The environment was great when we went down there. They were treating me well and things like that,” said Lyles.
Lyles is a game-changing type of player upside. He is already on the national radar after MaxPreps named him an All-American. It is only up from here. Lyles has the potential to become a national name and one of the best EDGE defenders in the 2026 class. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Lyles is the values he lives by and the way he presents himself.
“When people think of Tristan Lyles, I want them to think of an intelligent black man. He was a good football player and he was a Christian. He was smart, nice, and knew how to treat people, things of that nature,” said Lyles.
When you hear those words and see how Lyles carries himself, why wouldn’t you want him to be a part of your program? To be so young, he is already mature beyond his years. He would be a great asset to the Yellow Jackets program and one of the best EDGE prospects they have had in a long time since Michael Johnson (Bengals) and Derrick Morgan (Titans). When I make that comparison I am projecting. Yes, he has the potential to be that good. The future is extremely bright for Lyles.
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