Ohio State's Rival Michigan Likely To Be Dealt Blow on Coveted Star Quarterback

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 12:41 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes have yet to recruit a quarterback from the class of 2026. They and their rivals Michigan Wolverines, were pursuing the same signal-caller, who leaned towards the Wolverines. The Buckeyes will be pleased to hear that might not be the case anymore.

Early signs point to the Wolverines falling behind in the race for five-star QB Ryder Lyons, as USC has surged past Michigan in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 97.5 percent chance to land him, per On3.

Lyons, the No. 3 signal-caller and No. 6 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, has taken unofficial visits to Michigan (April 12), Oregon (April 15) and Ohio State (April 11), but the momentum has clearly shifted toward Lincoln Riley’s Trojans.

"He has strong connections to BYU. Oregon has always be up there. Michigan has had his attention, but USC is leading the way for Ryder Lyons." Chad Simmons wrote on Wednesday. "He almost committed late last summer, and now, he may not commit until after his official visits this summer, but Lincoln Riley‘s program is in the driver’s seat."

NEW On3’s @PeteNakos_ has logged an expert prediction for USC to land 5-star QB Ryder Lyons✌️

Read: https://t.co/trkOfqfFJ7 pic.twitter.com/2Uw2qqwAs9
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 23, 2025

"Lyons has visited multiple times this year, he watched his brother Walker Lyons at practice and he likes what Riley and the staff there are building." He added.

The Buckeyes will keep their search on for a quarterback from this cycle, but the fans will certainly love their rival missing out on a future star to other big programs.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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