In the strange world of college football, never rule out a flip until the player finally enrolls. Five-star 2026 QB, Ryder Lyons, has been committed to BYU since June, and for many, he looks locked to land in Provo, Utah. Except he isn’t. A newly appointed Big 10 head coach’s program is still in the mix. At least according to the QB.

“The style of football he plays, I think what he wants to do on offense, aggressive, physical football is something that would do well in Michigan, with all the resources he’ll have,” Lyons said about Kyle Whittingham.  Notably, the former Utah head coach was appointed as UM’s top coach just two days ago and got an $8.2 million per year deal. But why does the player want to leave BYU?

Kalani Sitake’s camp has recruited the 6’2″ and 220 lbs QB ever since December 2021 and extended him a scholarship offer when he was in the eighth grade. Although Sitake led personal efforts to recruit the quarterback, the major push came from BYU’s offensive coordinator, Aaron Roderick. Incidentally, Roderick is now rumored to leave for Utah’s OC job. Whereas, BYU’s DC Jay Hill is linked to the Michigan DC job.

With the looming coaching changes in Provo, it will be foolish to assume that Lyons is a locked player for BYU. “There definitely is some talk about that…I’m committed, but ultimately I have to do what’s best for my family and me,” Lyons said about interest from other programs. “Things can change…my head coach almost left, so stuff can change, you always have to be ready for that.”

Notably, BYU’s head coach, Kalani Sitake, was linked with the Penn State job for several months. Eventually, though, familiarity reigned supreme, and Sitake inked an extension with the Provo program. Even then, it was a major scare for Lyons, and it forced him to think and explore several other prospective destinations. As a result, there are a few other programs, too, apart from Michigan, where Lyons is swinging towards.

Other programs where Lyons is also showing interest

The Folsom, California, quarterback is a gifted pocket passer. His NIL value is already $656K and he is the 5th-ranked QB in the country. Factor in that in 2025, Lyons threw for 3,458 yards and earned the California Gatorade honor. No wonder every program is after him. Going ahead, Lyons is listed as a 2026 QB, but will enroll in 2027 due to his LDS mission. That essentially gives time for programs to flip him.

“Coach Lanning is incredible. The culture of the team, the culture of Oregon, I think he has a very good track record of bringing in new OCs, new assistant coaches that are gonna have the same mindset as him, even if it’s a different offense,” Lyons said about Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. “He’s been very clear to me that they’re gonna run the style of offense around the QB for whatever he’s successful at.”

Dante Moore is commanding significantly high draft stock, but will most likely stay for another year in Eugene. Eventually, in 2027, Oregon’s QB1 position will be vacant. Freshly coming out of his LDS mission, Ryons can grab the role quickly. Plus, the program also won’t have difficulty extending him a lucrative NIL offer, owing to their Nike dollars.

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All things considered, Lyons’ recruitment is currently wide open. And if the BYU staffing changes go through, we can see the player switching colors quickly. But will it be Michigan or Oregon, or maybe some other program like Utah, where OC Roderick will land? It is still a looming question!!