When the NCAA Transfer Portal opened for college football players on January 2nd, teams were not lacking options in their pursuit of talent acquisition. Perhaps one of the more interesting additions in the first full week of the portal’s unfolding occurred today for one of the Big 12’s top teams.
The BYU Cougars and HC Kalani Sitake Receive Commitment
The commitment was from USC transfer tight end Walker Lyons on Friday, a former four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting cycle from Folsom (Folsom, CA) High School. Lyons had an uneven recruiting process towards the conclusion of his time at Folsom, having originally committed to Stanford in the summer before a senior season that was cut markedly short due to a season-ending injury in the first game of the year.
Fast forward to the end of November, Stanford would fire head coach David Shaw shortly after the final game of the season, with recruits on campus.
Lyons would ultimately choose to sign with USC during the February signing period, but wouldn’t join the Trojans program officially until 2024 to serve a Latter-day Saint mission in Norway. In his inaugural season in Southern California, Lyons would tally six receptions for 36 yards across 183 offensive snaps.
That trio of totals saw notable increases this past season, with 20 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns across 382 offensive snaps, resulting in a PFSN TE Impact Score of 76.8. He started four of the 12 games in which he appeared.
His connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints establishes an obvious connection to the Cougars, if not for the fact that Sitake was the head coach when BYU was pursuing him out of high school. But Lyons’ younger brother, Ryder, is a member of the 2026 class who recently solidified his pledge to Sitake and Co.
The younger Lyons was another extremely accomplished quarterback in a long line of successful Bulldogs at the position, and he, too, will serve a one-year mission before joining his brother in Provo.
Walker is classified as a three-for-two, meaning he has three years of collegiate eligibility to play two; essentially, it means he has a redshirt year to use should he choose to do so. If he plays in more than four games this season (or five via the four standard games plus the bowl game route), the brothers will spend the 2027 season together.
There will certainly be an opportunity for Lyons to make an impact sooner rather than later, given the departure of productive senior tight end Carsen Ryan and his 799 offensive snaps in 2025. Lyons’ snap count total would’ve ranked second behind Ryan and in front of Keayen Nead (227 snaps). Nead will return for his senior season in what should create a reliable tandem between him and Lyons.
