Ryder Lyons

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-2, 220 lbs. Taller than 32% and heavier than 91% of 2026 Quarterback prospects in the SEC Scouts database (128 with a listed size).

Play Style

Lyons is a creator whose floor comes from high-percentage throwing. On film he takes what is open in Folsom's quick game and RPO concepts, which explains his 76.8% senior completion rate. His best moments come when the protection breaks down: he sidesteps the first rusher, resets his feet on the run and delivers downfield without panicking. His low interception totals (6 as a junior, 9 as a senior) show good judgment when he extends plays, which not every improviser has. As a runner he is more of a battering ram than a slasher. He is built for scrambles to move the chains and short-yardage keepers, not long option runs.

Strengths

• Improvisation and off-schedule play: scouts rate his scramble-drill ability as outstanding. He pulls defenders toward him with his movement and keeps his eyes downfield to find receivers who come open late.
• Accuracy and efficiency across two varsity seasons: as a junior he threw for 3,011 yards, 46 TDs and 6 INTs while going 12-2. As a senior he completed 265 of 345 passes (76.8%) for 3,485 yards, 36 TDs and 9 INTs.
• Toughness and red-zone value: his 220-pound frame makes him hard to bring down in the pocket, and he ran for 15 senior TDs, making him a real option near the goal line.
• Winning in big games: he went 12-1 as a senior and led Folsom to a CIF Division 1-AA state championship. That competition level is one of the strongest in the country.

Areas to Improve

• Processing and playing on schedule: the most consistent criticism is that he relies on improvisation. He needs to speed up reads within the structure of the play and take the answer the defense gives him on time, rather than extending plays by default.
• Rust from the mission: he will go about two years without full-speed football between his December 2025 state title and spring 2027. Arm strength, timing and body composition all have to be rebuilt, and quarterbacks returning from missions usually need a full offseason to get sharp again.
• Pocket play at modest height: at about 6-2 with a compact frame, he has to learn to slide within the pocket and find throwing lanes instead of leaving the pocket once his first read is covered.

College Projection

He is expected to enroll at BYU in spring 2027 after his mission and would be about 20 as a freshman. A realistic plan is to spend spring and fall 2027 regaining game speed and learning the offense, most likely as a backup or redshirt, and then compete for the starting job in 2028. His maturity, toughness and production suggest he can become a multi-year starter in the Big 12. How fast that happens depends on whether his arm and timing come back quickly after two years away, which is the hardest part of his projection to predict.

NFL Outlook

It is too early to project with any confidence. His improvisation and toughness fit the current NFL trend toward quarterbacks who can make plays outside the structure, and his size (6-2+, 220) is within an acceptable range. The main questions are consistency in progressions, whether his arm is good enough for NFL-level throws once his mechanics return after the mission, and his age at draft time, likely 24-25. With a strong run as a starter at BYU, the ceiling is a Day 2-3 prospect. More likely he is a productive college starter who goes late or undrafted unless his processing improves significantly.

Best Fit

His best fit is a spread offense with RPOs and quick game that uses movement, where the quarterback's ability to create is a planned part of the design: boot and sprint-out passes, QB runs in the red zone, and a scramble drill that is actually coached. BYU fits well. The program has long experience with quarterbacks returning from missions, is built on culture fit, and has a Big 12 offense that rewards efficient, mobile passers. Pro-style offenses that keep the quarterback in the pocket would take away his biggest strength.