Ryder Lyons is the biggest star in high school football. His viral fame has officially surpassed that of guys like Arch Manning, Jimmy Clausen, Tate Martell and maybe even Tim Tebow.
And yet, unless you are a true ball-knower, you may not even know he exists.
How does that work? The current era of high school football relies largely on social media in terms of popularity, where follower counts directly translates to prospect hype.
Who is Ryder Lyons?
Lyons ranks as one of the top 25 players in the college football recruiting Class of 2026. He is considered a five-star quarterback prospect, ranked behind No. 1 and No. 2 overall recruits Faizon Brandon and Keisean Henderson, Texas commit Dia Bell and Georgia commit Jared Curtis.
Although the Northern California-native committed to BYU in this upcoming class, he will not arrive to campus until 2027 after he serves a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Cougars will have to wait two years to get him in the system.
His fame is unmatched in high school football.
Lyons hit ridiculous numbers on Instagram after the first week of the season. He has more than 550,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram combined.
The 18-year-old quarterback also has an NIL deal with Under Armour. No big deal.
How much clout is too much clout?
Ryder Lyons plays for Folsom High School, which lost 53-14 to Mission Viejo on Friday. He threw for only 177 yards with one touchdown and one interception during the least impressive performance of his career thus far.
However, his offensive line allowed eight sacks so… not really his fault.
Even though Lyons lost in blowout fashion on the road, he was immediately swarmed by high school girls after the game. I have never seen anything like it on this level of sports!
Here is where things get contentious.
A new video has emerged of Ryder Lyons during the loss. He was dancing on the field during the game and at one point waved to a group of girls in the crowd while getting water on the sideline.
It is a good thing for a quarterback to stay loose and maintain positive vibes during a demoralizing loss. There is nothing wrong with having fun.
With that being said, Ryder Lyons’ behavior begs the question… is that really how you want your five-star signal-caller to act during a 41-point defeat? Depends on who you ask.
I see no issue with it. This is how high school kids act these days. He is a superstar. Keep it light!
However, I understand how it might be a bad look to be flirting with the crowd while getting destroyed. There are levels to this.