Even if Lyons doesn’t pan out, his signing with BYU in December will make a big statement for Sitake and his staff. BYU is far from being a blue blood in the college football world, but the landing of Lyons means it is certainly on the right track.

BYU made another important gain in the 2026 football recruiting class after five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons announced his commitment to the Cougars. Lyons chose BYU over finalists USC, Ole Miss, and Oregon.

BYU has always been able to offer top recruits enough unique and favorable components to cash in occasionally on the recruiting front. But those unique components have never been married with a level of credibility necessary to consistently compete with the so-called ‘Big Boys’ of college football.