Gorney's Predictions: Ryder Lyons, Kaydin Jones, LaDamion Guyton

Yahoo

15-03-2025

Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney has three predictions on five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, four-star running back Kaydin Jones and the top of the 2027 rankings.
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Ryder Lyons is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2026 class both on and off the field and his recruitment has taken some interesting turns recently.
Once considered a near USC lock, that all changed once four-star QB Jonas Williams flipped his pledge from Oregon to the Trojans. USC is still being considered by Lyons (the location, playing for Lincoln Riley and his brother plays there are all factors) but now Oregon, Michigan and BYU are the other three frontrunners.
This is where it gets especially interesting with another five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, who is down to Oregon and Georgia, visited both schools in recent days and should be close to a final decision.
If Curtis picks the Ducks then Lyons might be down to Michigan and BYU. If Curtis re-commits to Georgia then Oregon might emerge as the frontrunner for Lyons. If the Folsom, Calif., standout softly eliminates Oregon considering Curtis' next move then the Wolverines could be sitting really pretty.
Lyons has a ton of confidence and swagger and might pick BYU in a shocking recruiting move but Michigan looks strongest now according to sources.
By the time Lyons gets through his senior season, then a one-year Mormon mission, he could go to Ann Arbor for one season, presumably sit behind Bryce Underwood for one year and learn, Underwood would then be off to the NFL and Lyons could step in. It never works out so easily (just ask Arch Manning who had to wait for two years behind Quinn Ewers) but that's the idea.
Michigan is emerging and is now the team to beat. Unless something unforeseen happens, the Wolverines will get Lyons.
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Over the weekend, Kaydin Jones visited Kansas and after the trip he said the coaching staff told him they're just waiting on him to commit.
'Coaches continue to tell me they're waiting on me and whenever I want to jump in they'd be ready,' Jones said.
And then the four-star running back from Jenks, Okla., said something pretty surprising: 'KU is standing out the most.'
Oklahoma had been considered the far-and-away leader for Jones but after talking to some people it looks as if the Sooners have moved on to other targets, such as Jonathan Hatton Jr., Baylor four-star commit Ryelan Morris and others. Oklahoma State and others are in the picture as well.
But Kansas has emerged as the team to beat for the seventh-best all-purpose back in the class.
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Of the last 24 NFL Drafts dating back to 2000, there have been 18 quarterbacks taken first, four defensive ends and two offensive tackles. Based on that stark statistic alone, it would behoove us in the rankings business to focus very much on putting a quarterback No. 1 nearly every recruiting cycle.
That has been the case in recent years except for Jeremiah Smith because he was such a no-brainer No. 1 along with Travis Hunter because of the same reason.
But the 2027 class still seems wide open in terms of the top-rated player.
Right now, Elijah Haven, Peyton Houston and Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds are the top-three quarterbacks in the class. Edmunds was excellent at the recent Rivals Camp in Los Angeles.
The current No. 1 is Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School edge rusher LaDamion Guyton, who is fantastic off the edge, super fast, productive and he hits like a truck. The issue here is that of the four defensive ends taken No. 1 overall, they were physical specimens that looked like they were built in a lab. Guyton is a big-time player but at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, I'm not sure he's there yet.
Mario Williams was 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds. Jadeveon Clowney was 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds and arguably the best high school football player I've ever seen. Myles Garrett might be second on that list and was insanely dominant in high school. And Travon Walker was right on the cusp of a five-star ranking and one we still ache over.
Guyton is really good. But is he a surefire No. 1? History would argue against it.