You’d think Oregon sitting pretty at No. 4 in the 2026 recruiting class would mean that Dan Lanning has everything under control. They have already secured a commitment from the nation’s No. 1 tight end, Kendre Harrison, and have a commitment from No.4 offensive lineman in the country, Kodi Greene. They also remain in contention for a couple of other big names, but it is not all smooth sailing. Oregon is currently battling it out against some big-time programs for one of the country’s top prospects. Ryder Lyons is being pursued straight-up by head coaches, along with assistant coaches, and Lanning could see his chances of landing the Folsom QB fade away.

Over the last month or so, Lyons has spoken highly of the Ducks and Lanning, which has seen them emerge as a favorite to land him. “Coach (Will) Stein, Coach Lanning, how they’re doing as a program, they’re just building and building. Me and Coach Stein have a great relationship, probably the best out of any other coaches. They’ve been recruiting me the hardest probably, the whole time,” he said in an interview at the start of last month. Dan Lanning will have the prize of the season if he manages to get Lyons to commit to the Ducks. But he’ll have to roll up his sleeves for that because he’d have to fight what seems to have grown as a new favorite program of Lyons.

Lyons dropped in at Ole Miss on April 3, more than a couple of months after the first visit he made with his mom. The Rebels are one of six favorite programs touted to land him, and Ole Miss analyst Billy Embody believes Lane Kiffin’s program might just be in the driver’s seat.

“The five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons was back in Oxford for what I believe to be the first time since last summer. He made the trek out there for multiple days, got a chance to see spring practice under Lane Kiffin,” he told One3’s Josh Newberg in an April 9 video. However, what stands out for Lyons is how Kiffin shaped former Ducks QB Jaxson Dart, and that’s where the alarm bells ring for Dan Lanning.

Embody added, “After watching this season unfold for Jaxson Dart and his rise up the quarterback board, I think you’re seeing Ryder Lions kind of [seeing] himself a little bit more as a Ole Miss quarterback. According to Embody, Lyons and Dart seem to be similar in some aspects.

He noted, “The big physical skill set that [Lyons] brings to the table, kind of similar to what Jaxson Dart brings as far as a little bit of a runner, to that toughness, that edge to his game. Ryder Lions sees a lot of that.” There’s also the staff that seems to attract the star quarterback.

The head coach and his assistants have been at work. Embody said, “He got to spend a lot of time with Lane Kiffin, Charlie Weis Jr., Joe Judge, who’s coaching the quarterbacks as well, and kind of can see the path to development and how that works out.” The hard part of this for Lanning is that Ole Miss is now “securely in the picture for Lyons moving forward,” according to Embody. Imagine that the No. 38-ranked program in the class is now a surprise favorite for a top recruit.

Lyons is a right wonder of a quarterback. Combining his sophomore and junior years in high school, he produced a whopping 6,589 yards and 84 touchdowns. Not only that, but On3 gives him a 5-star rating and ranks him as the 4th-best QB in the class. Lyons is also touted to be one of the top signal-callers of that group. Lyons had earlier talked about how he is considering BYU, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, and USC among his options. Out of these, USC might also have a major say in where Lyons ends up due to personal ties.

His brother, Walker Lyons, played his freshman season as a tight end for the Trojans last year. He’s also a strong admirer of head coach Lincoln Riley, widely regarded as one of the premier developers of quarterbacks in college football. Riley has coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams during his time at Oklahoma and now at USC and their success is for everyone to see.

In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, Lyons opened up about how he would make the final choice. “The schools I’m going to take visits to are Michigan and Ohio State next week, and I just got back from Ole Miss this week,” Lyons said. “I have OB’s set for USC, Oregon, and BYU. I’ve seen so many schools except Michigan and Ohio State, but things are going to come down to how I fit in with their program and the culture of their school, and how much do their coaches believe in me,” he said.

In the midst of the NIL era, Lyons is well-positioned to secure a six- or seven-figure deal before he even arrives on campus, and that is where Oregon might be slightly ahead, thanks to their NIL fund with Phil Knight. Lyons, however, might have a unique reason to keep his options open.

Why Dan Lanning has more reason to worry about Ryder Lyons

Back in Oregon, Lanning isn’t just vying for Lyons. He’s also going after Jared Curtis. Also, he is a five-star quarterback, so he might have an edge over Lyons. On3 ranks him as the best quarterback prospect in the class and the 4th best prospect nationally. In his 3 years of high school football, Curtis has produced 7,665 passing yards and 92 touchdowns. And because Dan Lanning is keeping him in consideration, Lyons is keeping his options open.

According to Rivals’ Adam Gorney, where Curtis goes determines if Lyons will pick Oregon. If the former chose the Ducks, Gorney thinks the latter would likely move to Michigan or Baylor. However, Lyons also knows that Lanning is pushing hard for him. He told Sports Illustrated that he talks with Oregon “all the time.” “Coach Lanning, Coach (Will) Stein… pretty great relationship with those two, my whole family, which is pretty incredible,” Lyons claimed.

It looks like Lyons has some serious decision-making to do with all his prospects in line. He also reportedly wants to make his choice before the senior season. Also, he wants to be on a one-year mission with the LDS before he begins his college career. In another blow to Dan Lanning’s ardent pursuit, Ole Miss having this aspect is why it will move up on Lyons’ list. Where do you think Lyons will end up?