# Walker Lyons
**Walker Lyons** is an American college football tight end for the BYU Cougars, a four-star recruit from [Folsom, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/folsom-california), who signed with USC in 2023, served a two-year mission for [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints) in Norway, played two seasons for the Trojans, and transferred to BYU in January 2026.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) • [2](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/) He is listed at 6 feet 4 inches and 245 pounds, wears number 7, and is a junior majoring in business management.[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, size | Tight end (Y), 6-4, 245 lbs, BYU junior, number 7[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) |
| Recruiting | Four-star prospect; rated the No. 2 tight end nationally by ESPN, No. 4 by Rivals, No. 9 by 247Sports, and No. 13 by On3[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) |
| College path | Stanford commit, flipped to USC (February 1, 2023), transferred to BYU in January 2026[2](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/) • [1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) |
| 2024 at USC | 6 catches, 36 yards in 11 games (3 starts) as a true freshman[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) |
| 2025 at USC | 20 catches, 223 yards, 2 touchdowns on 26 targets, one drop, in 12 games[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC) |
| Mission | Two-year Latter-day Saints mission in Norway between signing and his first college snap[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) |
| Family | Father Tim played football at BYU; brother Ryder Lyons is a BYU football signee[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) |
## Recruiting
Lyons played at Folsom High School in Folsom, California, near Sacramento. As a junior he caught 44 passes for 746 yards and 9 touchdowns and helped lead Folsom to a state championship final, earning 2021 MaxPreps California All-State Second Team and All San-Joaquin Section honors.[2](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/) • [3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) He first committed to Stanford in July 2022, choosing the Cardinal over BYU, USC, and Utah.[5](https://www.on3.com/college/stanford-cardinal/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-stanford/) In the first game of his senior season he suffered a broken leg that ended his high school career.[6](https://www.si.com/college/stanford/recruiting/four-star-stanford-commit-walker-lyons-goes-down-with-broken-leg-in-first-game-of-the-season) He decommitted from Stanford on November 28, 2022, and announced his commitment to USC on February 1, 2023, citing coach [Lincoln Riley](https://www.edgepedia.org/lincoln-riley)'s recruitment and the combination of football and academics.[2](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/) On3's scouting summary described him as one of the more polished pass catchers at tight end in the 2023 cycle, a true in-line Y who could also flex out, with excellent body control, though it noted he needed to be more violent as a run blocker and might lack the length of other top tight end prospects.[2](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/) In November 2022, Rivals' national recruiting director Adam Gorney compared him to tight end [Michael Mayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-mayer), noting similar size and playing style and excellent hands.[7](https://n.rivals.com/news/next-up-comparing-te-recruits-to-college-and-nfl-stars) He was selected for the 2023 Under Armour All-American game and honored as the All-American Bowl's Man of the Year for community service and athletic distinction.[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons)
## College career at USC
Lyons did not take a college snap until 2024 because of his mission in Norway.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) As a true freshman in 2024 he appeared in 11 games with 3 starts, catching 6 passes for 36 yards.[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) He overtook Kade Eldridge on the depth chart during the season and served as the No. 2 tight end for the remainder of the year.[8](https://www.si.com/college/usc/football/usc-trojans-offense-x-factor-walker-lyons-lincoln-riley-mark-bowman-jayden-maiava-recruiting-tight-end-sophomore-injury)
In 2025 he played 12 games as USC's second tight end, catching 20 of 26 targets for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns with a single drop, and going 3 for 3 on contested catches; his two-catch, 42-yard outing against Michigan was described as his best tape against length.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC) He handled an inline blocking role while never being the featured option in the passing game.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC)
## Transfer to BYU
Lyons entered the transfer portal in December 2025 and transferred to BYU in January 2026 with two seasons of eligibility left.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC) • [1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) The move carried family ties: his father Tim played football at BYU, his parents met there, and his brother Ryder, a quarterback at Folsom High, is a BYU signee.[3](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons) At BYU he steps into the vacated starting tight end job, replacing [Carsen Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/carsen-ryan), and a preseason Mackey Award watch list spot came with the move.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) • [9](https://byusportnuts.com/articles/walker-lyons-byu-tight-end-fall-camp-2026/) He is the only tight end on BYU's roster whose profile shows recent Power Four receiving production of that kind, in a ten-player room in which every player is listed between 6-3 and 6-5 and eight weigh at least 240 pounds.[9](https://byusportnuts.com/articles/walker-lyons-byu-tight-end-fall-camp-2026/)
## Scouting evaluation
**Strengths.** Scouts point first to his blocking, which his BYU coaches emphasize in a run-oriented offense that asks its tight end to be a true Y, alongside sure hands and comfort in traffic.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) • [4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC) A 2026 draft profile credits offensive-lineman-level hand placement and leg drive when run blocking, versatility across in-line, H-back, and slot alignments, and elite body control at the catch point.[10](https://otclock.substack.com/p/walker-lyons-2026-draft-profile) Staffs describe mission-matured professional habits and an older player's approach.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC)
**Limits.** The production sample is small: 26 career catches through 2025, with 20 catches the entire college sample and an 11.1-yard average that suggests targets short of the sticks.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) Evaluators also cite average timed speed for a flex role, a 245-pound frame light for a full-time inline living, below-average route flexibility, and functional strength that lets aggressive linebackers and defensive ends move him.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC) • [10](https://otclock.substack.com/p/walker-lyons-2026-draft-profile) The mission pushed his age roughly two years ahead of his production curve, shortening his development runway.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC)
**Draft outlook.** ScoutSZN grades him 7.4 of 10, a Day 3 caliber prospect with a floor of 6.7 and a ceiling of 7.9, ranking him No. 176 overall and No. 9 among tight ends in the 2028 draft class, and projects him as a starting tight end with one season to make production match pedigree.[1](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade) NFLDraftBuzz frames him as a late-round watch with sleeper credentials, noting that a feature season would push him squarely into draftable range.[4](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC)
## References
1. [Walker Lyons · BYU TE Scouting Report & Draft Grade, ScoutSZN](https://scoutszn.com/player/5588?tab=grade)
2. [Four-Star TE Walker Lyons commits to USC, On3 (February 1, 2023)](https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-usc/)
3. [Walker Lyons - Football 2026 - BYU Athletics Official Roster Bio](https://byucougars.com/sports/football/roster/player/walker-lyons)
4. [Walker Lyons Tight End USC | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report, NFLDraftBuzz](https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Walker-Lyons-TE-USC)
5. [Four-Star TE Walker Lyons commits to Stanford, On3 (July 2022)](https://www.on3.com/college/stanford-cardinal/news/four-star-te-walker-lyons-commits-to-stanford/)
6. [Four-star Stanford commit Walker Lyons goes down with broken leg in first game of the season, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/stanford/recruiting/four-star-stanford-commit-walker-lyons-goes-down-with-broken-leg-in-first-game-of-the-season)
7. [Next Up: Comparing TE recruits to college and NFL stars, Rivals (November 3, 2022)](https://n.rivals.com/news/next-up-comparing-te-recruits-to-college-and-nfl-stars)
8. [USC Trojans Offense's X-Factor: Sophomore Tight End Walker Lyons?, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/college/usc/football/usc-trojans-offense-x-factor-walker-lyons-lincoln-riley-mark-bowman-jayden-maiava-recruiting-tight-end-sophomore-injury)
9. [Walker Lyons Is BYU's Tight End Test for Fall Camp, BYU Sport Nuts (July 26, 2026)](https://byusportnuts.com/articles/walker-lyons-byu-tight-end-fall-camp-2026/)
10. [Walker Lyons 2026 Draft Profile, by Courtlandt Griffin, OT Clock (August 3, 2026)](https://otclock.substack.com/p/walker-lyons-2026-draft-profile)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Tight ends*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license