Before his March visit earlier this year, 5-star Ryder Lyons made it pretty clear why the USC Trojans program stands out for him. Head coach Lincoln Riley’s excellent record with QBs, making Lyons feel special with their relentless recruiting approach, and most importantly, his brother Walker Lyons already being part of the system, USC seemed like the ultimate destination for the 6th overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class.

“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 during his March visit to USC. “Coach Riley knows what he’s doing.” Now, two months later, the tide has completely changed despite visiting the Trojans six times.

As late as June 6, 2025, Ryder Lyons has canceled his USC Trojans visit, and if reports are to be believed, the Folsom quarterback does not plan to reschedule any visit to Los Angeles at all. According to 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman, “The five-star cancelled his upcoming visit with the Trojans, and it doesn’t appear that USC will end up with an official this spring—if at all.” However, considering Lyons’ Oregon and BYU visits are still due, USC might still be in the race to land the 5-star prospect with only one clear favorite between BYU and Oregon.

On June 5th, Ryan Dyrud shared his thoughts on his USC LAFB show. Dyrud said, “This doesn’t mean 100% the door is shot on Ryder Lyons and USC. I think there’s still interest. I think by doing it this way, no bridges were burned.” However, Dyrud currently ruled out USC and Oregon. And among his two final interests, BYU might have a better chance at landing him, despite Dan Lanning working the hardest this whole time.

He added, “For now, not visiting in the spring, and while Oregon is the leader on paper… in my opinion… I think BYU is the favorite. I think there is a real, legitimate shot he ends up there for multiple reasons. I think for 1) obviously the alignment with his faith and being LDS, and I think that’s an important factor. 2) The conference BYU plays in is very winnable, with a very clear path to the college football playoff. For 3) BYU actually is putting together quite a nice class.”

He also added that Kalani Sitake’s program has “the NIL to make him the headline of the class.” “I think BYU has real staying power because he would be the headline of their class,” he added. “They have a good class already, but he would be the headline. They could throw everything at him.” So, if winning is what Ryder Lyons is looking for, BYU could be a legitimate choice. And it would be a win-win. Just imagine BYU getting a top-20 player who’s also the No. 4 QB, per 247Sports.

But don’t count out Oregon. The Ducks want this badly. After losing 4-star QB Jonas Williams to, ironically, USC and watching Jared Curtis, the No. 1 QB in the class, commit to Georgia, Dan Lanning and his squad are not in the mood to miss again. They’ve been in the thick of it with Ryder Lyons from the jump and are reportedly ready to dig as deep as needed with NIL, facilities, playing time, you name it.

While Oregon is very much in the mix, there’s one factor that might put BYU ahead in the race. The Cougars’ immediate offer of control, spotlight, and a clear starting gig might just outweigh Oregon’s allure. “BYU even more so than Oregon, he’d be guaranteed to start day one,” Dyrud said. But anything could happen.

The Ducks might have something that puts them above the Cougars. As for now, we’ll wait for what the OVs on June 13th to Oregon and June 19th to BYU will bring. Who knows, even USC could get back in the mix, but there’s a reason that might have compelled this unexpected turn of events.

What happened between USC and Ryder Lyons?

Both Ryder Lyons and USC had mutual interest in each other. But even though he’s a 2026 prospect, there’s the LDS mission factor. He won’t enroll until 2027. The Trojans had a long-term plan with Husan Longstreet in 2025, Jonas Williams in 2026, and Lyons in 2027. But with Lyons delaying his commitment, Lincoln Riley is shifting gears.

Despite USC boasting the No. 1 2026 recruiting class, headlined by 5-star TE Mark Bowman and 4-star QB Jonas Williams, Ryder Lyons’ hesitation has prompted the staff to prioritize 2027 QB Peyton Houston from Louisiana, per On3’s Scott Schrader.

USC reportedly still wants to host Lyons for an official visit in the fall, but he’s currently focused on Oregon and BYU. His final decision could come down to how those visits go. And maybe, the door at USC isn’t completely closed just yet.