The USC Trojans have been the talk of college football when it comes to the early 2026 recruiting cycle. They currently have the No. 1 class, and there is plenty of buzz about more coming.
Today marks the beginning of Spring Ball, so much of the focus will turn to the 2025 team as they will be the ones playing Saturdays in the fall. However, that does not mean that recruiting will stop, and many 2026 and 2027 prospects will be on campus in the spring to watch practice and continue building relationships with the staff.
One of the players USC is targeting is elite 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons. We have talked about him extensively on the USC LAFB Show and written about him as well. For most of the cycle, he has been heavily linked to the Trojans, and most predictions out there have him landing with Lincoln Riley in LA.
However, Adam Gorney of Rivals.com just released his commitment predictions for the Top 10 players in the 2026 class, and he has Ryder Lyons committing to Oregon.
Rivals Predicts Ryder Lyons To Choose Oregon Over USC Trojans
Depending on what outlet you favor, Lyons typically falls in the Top 5 of 2026 QBs. Rivals ranks him as the No. 2 QB behind Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon.
From Gorney’s piece:
“Things could dramatically change here, but if Jared Curtis picks Georgia, then Oregon could be the front-runner for Lyons. If Curtis picks the Ducks, then Michigan is sitting pretty. BYU, Ohio State, USC, Ole Miss, and others are involved,” writes Gorney.
The USC Trojans already flipped elite QB Jonas Williams from Oregon earlier this year, so the Ducks are going to do whatever they can to grab one of the top QBs. If they miss on Jared Curtis, they will surely go all in for Lyons and offer him an insane NIL package.
Also Read: Lincoln Riley Gives Update On USC Trojans QB Situation Heading Into Spring Ball
While Lyons will ultimately not enroll until 2027, USC may not want to get into a bidding war with Husan Longstreet being just a freshman, and Williams committed for 2026.
That being said, it is interesting that Gorney seemingly does not even view SC as the 2nd choice. He notes that Michigan is sitting nicely if Curtis were to commit to Oregon.
Walker Lyons, the brother of Ryder, is a tight end at USC, and Lincoln Riley has been recruiting the QB from Folsom since very early on.
I personally still think that USC is in the driver’s seat, especially with its revamped recruiting efforts and the excitement surrounding the program.
Time will tell.
Reports indicate that Lyons plans to announce his commitment sometime in the summer. If the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley want him, they have plenty of time to see how the dominoes fall and then make their move.