Kalani Sitake's Reaction to the Commitment of Five-Star Quarterback Ryder Lyons

Originally posted on BYU Cougars on SI
By Casey Lundquist | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 12:09 PM ET

Earlier this week, BYU landed the top available quarterback in the country in five-star Ryder Lyons. Lyons committed to the Cougars over the biggest brands in the country. At the tail end of his recruitment, it turned into a two-way battle between BYU and Oregon.

BYU and its coaching staff are not be permitted to comment on the Lyons commitment until he signs on signing day. It is against NCAA rules. Due to those rules, the interactions between coaches and recruits when they commit is never seen by the public.

However, Ryder Lyons is unique. Lyons has a close friend with his own Youtube channel. In this new era of media, Lyons' friend documented the 24 hours leading up to his college decision. In the video, Ryder Lyons is seen calling BYU head coach Kalani Sitake to announce his commitment. The interaction between Lyons and Sitake begins at 8:18 in the video.

"LET'S FREAKING GOOOOO!" Sitake yelled from the golf course when Lyons committed to the Cougars. "I'm doing the griddy right now. I'm doing the griddy right now, yeah let's go! Ok now I'm tired," Sitake joked.

Sitake and his staff have been recruiting Ryder Lyons since he was in 8th grade. The Cougars were the first school to extend him an offer, something that Lyons mentioned when he committed to BYU. The years of effort paid off on Tuesday when Lyons gave BYU

Lyons' decision came down to the wire. In the video, Lyons is seen trying to finalize his decision at 2 AM in the morning. In the end, it was BYU that won out.

This article first appeared on BYU Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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