5-Star Quarterback Recruit Ryder Lyons Visits USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks Losing Ground?

The Oregon Ducks are in a recruiting battle for class of 2026 five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. Lyons visited the USC Trojans over the weekend. Will the Ducks eventually be able to land Lyons?

Ryder Lyons On Oregon Ducks

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a press availability Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryder Lyons is a 6-2, 215 pound quarterback out of Folsom, California. Lyons is rated a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the class of 2026 per 247Sports. Lyons talked to On3 earlier in March about the possibility of playing at Oregon with coach Dan Lanning and what stands out about the program as a whole.

“Coach (Will) Stein, Coach Lanning how they’re doing as a program, they’re just building and building,” Lyons said. “Me and Coach Stein have a great relationship, probably the best out of any other coaches. They’ve been recruiting me the hardest probably, the whole time.”

Lyons also addressed the narrative that Oregon is only able to recruit at a high level is due to the Ducks NIL fund with Phil Knight. He says it goes deeper than just a dollar amount.

“How they’re recruiting, a lot of people like to say it’s all Phil Knight money, but they don’t really understand how good they recruit,” Lyons said. “Their culture is probably one of the best I’ve seen. How they play as a team, how they interact with each other.”

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Ryder Lyons On USC Trojans

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leaves the field after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lyons is also considering USC, where he was visiting this weekend. He has spoken very highly of the Trojans as well.

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

Ryder Lyons’ brother Walker Lyons was a freshman tight end at USC last season so there is a direct family connection between Lyons and the USC program already. Lyons is also a big fan of USC coach Lincoln Riley. Riley has proven to be one of the best college coaches to play for quarterbacks looking to take their game to the next level.

At Oklahoma and then USC, Riley coach Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams. All three of these quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy, were drafted No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, and are currently starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

Oregon Ducks Class of 2026

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks currently have the No. 6 ranked 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports. This class thus far has four-star recruits' offensive tackle Kodi Greene, athlete Kendre Harrison, running back Tradarian Ball, defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, and linebacker Tristan Phillips.

If Ryder Lyons were to commit to Oregon, he would be the first quarterback to do so in the class of 2026.