Are USC Trojans closing in on another 5-star quarterback commitment?

Andrew Nemec | Oct 10, 2024

Ryder Lyons leads his teammates across the field for the postgame handshake with Long Beach Poly players and coaches. / Photo by Todd Shurtleff

The USC Trojans are hosting an impressive collection of visitors this weekend, including a pair of quarterbacks that could represent the future of the position in Los Angeles.

Carrollton (Georgia) five-star quarterback and USC commit Julian Lewis is likely to work as a peer recruiting while on campus, but he's not the only five-star quarterback scheduled to be in attendance.

For some time, Folsom (California) five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons and the Trojans have seemed to be circling one another.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal-caller, rated the nation's No. 6 overall prospect and No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2026, has long been considered a USC lean.

In fact, On3 gives USC a 97.9 percent chance of securing his commitment, while 100 percent of predictions on 247Sports favor the Trojans.

So far, of course, there's been no commitment.

But it could come imminently, and this weekend's showdown against Penn State provides a near-perfect backdrop as Lyons will be in attendance.

"Lyons to USC" has been a notable narrative for some time, but the urgency of that projection is growing.

Make no mistake, this weekend's visit could be a crucial one for the in-state star.

Here's what 247Sports had to say about Lyons as a prospect:

"Lyons is on the short list when talking about the top overall signal caller in the ’26 class. He's coming off a huge sophomore season where he showed off his rare ability as a thrower and runner and accounted for 61 all-purpose touchdowns. At the SoCal Elite 11 Camp (3/17/24), he showed off one of the quickest releases in the camp, the ability to make throws from in and out of the pocket and was accurate to all three levels of the field. His 36" vertical jump was 2nd highest in the camp and he combines rare physical tools with an advanced feel for the position as well."