Notre Dame Checks In On Dynamic Quarterback Ryder Lyons

Elite 2026 quarterback Ryder Lyons talks his early impression of Notre Dame

Notre Dame already fully entrenched itself in 2026 quarterback recruiting. The Irish staff has been on a tremendous run at the position, and now are doing their research on some of the top signal callers in the 2026 class. On Tuesday, several Notre Dame coaches traveled out to Folsom (Calif.) High School, which is the home of record-setting quarterback Ryder Lyons, who is the younger brother of 2023 USC tight end signee Walker Lyons.

Communication is limited during these visits. They serve more as an opportunity to talk to coaches and staff members about the prospective recruits. At times is also can allow coaches to be able to watch the players work out. That was the case when Notre Dame visited Folsom.

"Everything went well,” Lyons told Irish Breakdown. "It was good to have them there to watch me throw and just see me in person. They had told me (previously) that I was going to be the first person they would come to see and that was for a reason so that was cool.”

The 6-2, 205-pound signal caller is coming off of a tremendous 2023 season for the Bulldogs. It was one that Lyons will remember, and it included Folsom and Lyons winning the state championship.

The team finished with a 13-2 overall record and won the D1 California state championship. Lyons finished with 3,500 passing yards and 950 rushing with 61 total touchdowns. Saying he was a dual threat weapon would be a massive understatement.

After such a long season, this was actually one of the few times Lyons has let it loose. He is already ready to get back on the field.

"Everything has been going well,” Lyons explained. "It was only like my third time throwing since the state championship because I took some time off to rest my arm and I’ve been hooping. But now I know it's go time. A big year is coming.”

Making the trip from South Bend to California isn’t easy, especially with the weather the way it has been. Lyons understands how much of an honor that is, and already feels like an early priority for Notre Dame.

"It’s definitely a long way for them to travel, so it just means more and shows me that they're really interested in me,” he said. "Coach Gino (Guidugli) has told me I am their top guy for the 2026 class which also really means a lot.”

This visit was also a great opportunity for the Notre Dame coaches to talk to Paul Doherty, who is the Folsom head coach. Obviously the staff already has a prior relationship, which helps with the familiarity.

"He knows them especially because of Rico Flores who came from Folsom also,” Lyons stated. "He really does like the coaches a lot over at Notre Dame.”

Now getting Lyons to South Bend will be the next big step. There is clearly high interest from both sides, so continuing that momentum is paramount.

It should be no surprise that Lyons is really blowing up from a recruiting perspective, partly due to that dynamic sophomore season. He is being recruited by several big time programs. Some of Lyons’ top offers so far include the Irish, USC, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Washington State, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Colorado and BYU among others.

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