Notre Dame Continues Strong Push For California Signal Caller Ryder Lyons

There is already so much attention on 2026 quarterback recruiting for Notre Dame, with them seemingly moving the needle with several big time quarterbacks in that class. One of the big names to know is Folsom (Calif.) High School signal caller Ryder Lyons, who the Irish have put themselves in a great early position with.

He is the younger brother of 2024 USC tight end signee Walker Lyons, who is currently serving a Latter-day Saint mission in Norway. The younger Lyons is already considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the 2026 class and is receiving interest from some very impressive schools.

He is beyond grateful to be in this position being recruited by so many great programs, with Notre Dame very high on the list.

"Honestly, I feel so blessed,” Lyons told Irish Breakdown. "I still have so much more to do in high school but the recruiting has been so humbling. I speak with Notre Dame coaches often and I really appreciate their faith in me. And obviously them coming to see me this year also means a lot.

"My relationship with the coaches just keeps building,” Lyons continued. "I actually just talked to Coach (Marcus) Freeman, Coach Gino (Guidugli) and Chad Bowden today actually. It was a good conversation and great to catch up.”

Lyons’ relationship with Guidugli is especially strong early on in the process. The Irish quarterback coach has received rave reviews from top signal callers in the 2025 and 2026 class. That includes Lyons.

"He’s awesome,” he said. "I really, really like him.”

Lyons has just finished up his basketball season, which saw him earn second team All-Conference honors. Now he and his family are starting to figure out school visits for the offseason. There is a really good chance that he will make it to South Bend this summer, which seems a little surreal for him.

"I want to hit my top schools this spring or early summer and I know Notre Dame is high on that list,” Lyons explained. "Ian Book was my first quarterback coach when he was in high school so it’s come full circle.”

The 6-2, 205-pound signal caller is coming off of a tremendous 2023 season for the Bulldogs. It was one that Lyons will remember, and it included Folsom and Lyons winning the state championship.

The team finished with a 13-2 overall record and won the D1 California state championship. Lyons finished with 3,500 passing yards and 950 rushing with 61 total touchdowns. Saying he was a dual threat weapon would be a massive understatement.

It should be no surprise that Lyons is really blowing up from a recruiting perspective, partly due to that dynamic sophomore season. He is being recruited by several big time programs. Some of Lyons’ top offers so far include the Irish, Georgia, Michigan, USC, Florida, Florida State, Oregon, Texas A&M, Washington, Ole Miss, UCLA, Utah, Arkansas, Washington State, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Colorado and BYU among others.

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