5-Star Quarterback Ryder Lyons Wearing USC Trojans Gear At Recruiting Camp

The Rivals Camp Series started up again this weekend in Los Angeles, where some of the country’s top prospects are competing in the first of eight regional camps.

Among those in attendance at East LA College is Folsom (Calif.) five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who rocked a USC Trojans towel on Sunday. Lyons was named the Quarterback MVP of the camp.

The Trojans have longer been considered the favorite to land the highly coveted signal-caller from Northern California. Lyons is the younger brother of current USC tight end Walker Lyons.

5⭐️ QB @ryderly0ns ready to compete at @RivalsCamp LA 🔥

(Rocking the USC towel ✌️👀) pic.twitter.com/wwvioAOZkc
— Rivals (@Rivals) March 2, 2025

Lyons’ recruitment has intensified lately since Lincoln Way East (IL) four-star quarterback Jonas Williams flipped his commitment from Oregon to USC last week. However, Lyons will take a year-long mission trip with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, delaying his enrollment until the summer of 2027, increasing the likelihood that USC still pushes to sign two quarterbacks in this upcoming recruiting class.

Lyons will be following the same path as his older brother, Walker, who signed with the Trojans in the 2023 recruiting cycle and then arrived on campus in June 2024 when he returned from his LDS mission to take part in summer workouts.

Signing two quarterbacks is something that doesn’t happen very often in college football, but it is something the Trojans have done twice in the last decade. In the 2015 cycle, they signed San Clemente (Calif.) four-star Sam Darnold and St. Bonaventure (Calif.) four-star Ricky Town. In the 2021 cycle, it was Corner Canyon (Utah) four-star Jaxson Dart and Bishop Alemany (Calif.) four-star Miller Moss. Of course, this situation is a little different because Lyons is more of a 2027 prospect than a 2026 prospect.

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If the Trojans are able to land both Lyons and Williams, it would setup their quarterback room very nicely for the future. USC signed five-star Husan Longstreet in the 2025 cycle.

“It’s my relationship with the coaches is the biggest thing to me,” Lyons told On3. “Then kind of the whole culture of their program. I want to go somewhere where I feel love but also I’m going to be pushed. I want a good environment — somewhere I want to work, somewhere I want to put all my effort in.”

Ole Miss, Ohio State, Oregon and BYU are still in the mix for the five-star quarterback. Lyons has not scheduled his official visits for the summer yet but acknowledged last month that name, image and likeness will play a factor in his recruitment.

St. Bonaventure's Dylan Dunst tackles Folsom quarterback Ryder Lyons during the fourth quarter of the CIF-State Division 1-A state championship bowl at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. St. Bonaventure lost 20-14. | JOE LUMAYA/SPECIAL TO THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

“You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities that are there, obviously,” Lyons told On3. “Anyone who says they’re not is lying. But, that’s an important thing — you’ve got to make sure they’re invested in you. I think that’s the way to look at it for NIL. When you’re talking about however much they’re willing to pay you, I guess, is how much they really believe in you; how much they are invested in you."

“But that’s not the most important thing. That’s all good money, the more money is the NFL," Lyons continued.

USC currently holds 11 commitments in the 2026 cycle, including including seven four-stars and five players in the top-100 recruits according to the On3 Industry Rankings. They hold the No. 1 recruiting class according to 247Sports and Rivals and No. 2 in the On3 Industry Rankings.

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