Ryder Lyons has officially committed to play in Provo.
(Richard W. Rodriguez | AP) Quarterback Ryder Lyons (3) throws a pass in an OT7 Football game on March 15, 2025, in Dallas.
The gem of BYU’s best recruiting class in decades briefly gave the Cougars a scare on signing day.
As the commitments rolled in on Wednesday morning, four-star quarterback Ryder Lyons hadn’t put pen to paper with the rest of head coach Kalani Sitake’s top-20 class. One recruiting service even reported that Lyons planned to delay his signing until another day.
“We are expecting a few more players to sign,” offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said as the morning ticked on.
A few hours later, Lyons put the drama to bed by signing with the Cougars.
But Roderick was not too concerned at any time, even as reports surfaced that Lyons may not sign.
“I will say, I think our quarterback play has been really good for a while now,” Roderick said. “And it is going to continue to be really good no matter who is here. We are going to keep playing at a high level at QB.”
This season, Roderick brought in true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier and won 11 games in the regular season.
No. 11 BYU is playing No. 4 Texas Tech on Saturday for a Big 12 title.
Bachmeier’s ascent complicates the timeline for Lyons to play. Lyons will go on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission for one year and arrive in Provo for the 2027 season.
Bachmeier, if he stays all four years, could be the Cougars’ starter until 2028. That would mean Lyons might sit for two seasons before starting, waiting until 2029.
But Roderick believes Bachmeier’s rise is a positive for BYU’s recruiting, not a negative.
“QBs are confident guys. They don’t worry too much about who is in front of them and who is behind them,” Roderick said. “They usually believe I am going to be the guy. I haven’t had anybody say, ‘I don’t want to go to BYU because you are starting a freshman.’ That has not come up yet.”
He added that Bachmeier’s development is something recruits have been interested in.
“Most QBs want to go to a place where there is a history of good quarterback play, especially recent history,” Roderick said. “Obviously, quarterback play here, going back to the old days, was unbelievable. But with recruits, recent history is what matters the most and ours has been solid.”
BYU sells a national title
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake as BYU hosts Utah, NCAA football at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
Sitake pitched this recruiting class on being the foundation of a national championship contender in Provo.
His program won 11 games the last two years and continues to knock on the door of the College Football Playoff. With a win over No. 4 Texas Tech on Saturday, the Cougars could do just that in 2025.
But Sitake saw BYU leveling up with more talent this year. In his best recruiting class in program history, the Cougars signed a top 20 haul on Wednesday. It was highlighted by Lyons and four-star tight end Brock Harris. Harris, in particular, was the linchpin to BYU’s recruiting prowess, where he spearheaded BYU’s blitz to get Lyons to Provo.
“You’ve seen what we were able to do without these top, talented recruits that we had before,” three-star signee Kaue Akana, of Orem, said. “Now with this class, when it is all said and done, I think we are competing for a national championship.”
BYU sits behind Texas Tech for the best class in the Big 12. It also landed five of the top 10 recruits in the state of Utah — a place where BYU was routinely beaten out by the Utes for the last decade.
“Going to the Big 12, you are going to get more funding,” Akana said. “Jay Hill coming in was big. A really stout defense. I think that is what the difference is. With picking up the right recruits, it is great to see.”
An All-American family
One BYU recruit out of Olympus had a few more announcements other than just putting pen to paper with the Cougars.
Adam Bywater, a four-star linebacker, was announced as an All-American and will play in the showcase game in San Antonio.
Bywater picked the Cougars over Utah and others. His older brother, Ben, was a captain on Jay Hill’s first defense in Provo.
“I think seeing [current linebackers] Jack Kelly, Isaiah Glasker, that opened my eyes to what I could be,” Bywater said. “My size, my length. I think I can come in and do what Isaiah is doing.”
Hill and linebackers coach Justin Ena have prioritized length in the middle of the defense. Bywater is listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.
“We see so many similar characteristics to [Ben],” Hill said. “We see length and athleticism and physicality. I think he is actually bigger than Ben at this stage. We think he has tremendous upside.”