Folsom QB Ryder Lyons, a 5-star recruit, reveals college football commitment
Ryder Lyons didn’t pull a Houdini act of faking one way and bolting the other on Tuesday morning, much like he did in buckling defenses as an impossible-to-stop sophomore and junior in powering the Sacramento-area’s top high school football program.
No, the Folsom Bulldogs senior-to-be quarterback star picked the college of his choice that seemed to be the favorite for weeks, if not years, committing to BYU on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. Lyons gave a verbal commitment to play for the Cougars of Utah on scholarship. Binding scholarship deals are signed in December.
More than 30 big-name colleges dotted Lyons’ list of intrigue destinations. He even made a visit to Sacramento State, putting on gear and taking photos, as the first five-star prospect to visit the Hornets since the school started football in 1954.
Lyons is from a Mormon family and will do a one-year mission following graduation, much like his four-star brother Walker Lyons did after his prep career at Folsom. Walker Lyons is now playing tight end at USC.
BYU was the first college to offer Ryder Lyons a scholarship, doing so when he was in the eighth grade. Lyons’ father, Tim Lyons, played for BYU in the 1990s.
Lyons is the first quarterback star from the Sacramento region to commit to BYU since Robbie Bosco of Roseville High did in 1980, and it paid off nicely for both parties. Bosco led the Cougars to the 1984 national championship. Lyons is also the next in a long line of superb quarterbacks to come out of Folsom.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Lyons is a weight-room and film-study buff who expresses his love for the game, including practices. He excelled as a defensive stopper for Folsom’s basketball team this past season, playing a paramount role in the Bulldogs winning the CIF Division I section championship.
Lyons will lead the No. 1 team in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section for the third consecutive season this fall, including a highly anticipated season opener at Grant.
Lyons is deemed the top player prospect from Northern California by 247 Sports since running back Najee Harris of Antioch High of Contra Costa County.
A two-time Bee Player of the Year, Lyons has led Folsom to two section Division I championships and a CIF state crown. He passed for 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns and ran for 585 and 14 scores in 2024, leading the Bulldogs to the Northern California Division I finals.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM.