HUH: Is Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints MAD at BYU for Ryder Lyons' MASSIVE NIL Deal?
HUH: Is Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints MAD at BYU for Ryder Lyons' MASSIVE NIL Deal?  
Podcast: Locked On Big 12 | Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast
Published On: Sun Jul 27 2025
Description: When discussing how much five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons is "being paid" (referring to his Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL valuation), it's important to understand a few things:NIL Valuations vs. Actual Deals: Recruiting services like On3 provide an "NIL Valuation" for top recruits. This is an estimated annual value of their NIL based on factors like social media following, on-field performance, perceived marketability, and the NIL landscape. It's not necessarily the exact amount of money a player is guaranteed to receive from a specific deal or collective.  Ryder Lyons' On3 NIL Valuation: As of late June 2025, Ryder Lyons holds a $785,000 On3 NIL valuation. This places him among the top prospects nationally in terms of his potential earning power through NIL.  His Comments on NIL: Interestingly, despite his high valuation and the fact that he received numerous offers from major programs known for their substantial NIL backing (like USC and Oregon), Lyons himself has stated that NIL money was not the primary driver of his decision to commit to BYU. During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" after his commitment, Lyons acknowledged the complexity of NIL: "It's hard," he said of his recruitment and NIL offers. "It's hard for sure. I do have someone who handles it for me. I have an agent. I have a whole team. But it definitely makes it just confusing. I mean, you're thrown a lot of money from a lot of different places." However, he emphasized that his long-term goal is to make it to the NFL, "because that's where the serious money is."  BYU's NIL Approach (Less Transparent but Effective): BYU, as a private university, is less transparent about its NIL efforts. However, their ability to secure commitments from high-profile recruits like Lyons (and previously five-star men's basketball prospect A.J. Dybantsa) suggests that their collective (Royal Blue NIL) is competitive and effective, even if they don't publicly disclose specific deal amounts. Lyons' decision indicates that BYU's unique cultural fit, early belief in him (they were his first offer), strong quarterback development history, and his own LDS faith and mission plans outweighed potential higher NIL offers from other schools.In summary, while Ryder Lyons has a significant estimated NIL valuation and clearly received substantial offers from various programs, he has personally downplayed the role of NIL money in his commitment to BYU, suggesting other factors were more important to him. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at www.monarchmoney.com/lockedoncollege for 50% off your first year.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.