4-star TE Walker Lyons sees a route to success on and off the field at Stanford

Folsom (Calif.) tight end Walker Lyons has been thinking about committing for over a month now. He went back and forth between committing before the season or waiting until the fall. The news of UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten gave him a little hesitation, but after thinking on it over the last week, the No. 98 prospect in the On3 Consensus decided to commit to Stanford.

The four-star said he chose the Cardinal over BYU, USC, and Utah.

“It just felt right,” Lyons told On3. “As soon as I got that confirmation with myself, I called the coaches to let them know of my decision. I think it was Tuesday when I made it official.”

Lyons grew up in northern California, so he knew about Stanford as a kid. His parents are from the bay area. Stanford has a strong brand too. Lyons had his eye on the program in Palo Alto at an early age.

Last summer was when Stanford jumped in the race. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder had over two dozen offers when he visited Stanford in June. On that visit, David Shaw offered the No. 5 tight end in the country.

“My parents had always talked to me when I was growing up about the doors Stanford could open if I went there. So as soon as I got the offer, they were one of my top schools.

“After that visit, I started to get close to coach Turner, I talked to coach Shaw more, and Stanford made it clear that I was their guy. Coach Turner visited me more than any other coach, coach Shaw talked to me a lot, and my interest in Stanford was always high.

“I liked other schools too, but right when Stanford offered, they became a top school for me.”

Lyons feels Stanford offers the best on and off the field

As we rolled into 2022, Stanford continued to pick up steam. Lyons got familiar with the campus, he was comfortable with the coaches, and by the spring, he quietly had the Cardinal on top of his list.

Once he got approved as a student-athlete to attend Stanford in June, it looked to be only a matter of time.

“I have been thinking about this for some time. As soon as they offered, I knew I could really go to school there and that I could really play football there.

“With Stanford, there is a Plan A and a Plan A. Plan A is the NFL and Plan A is the degree. If football doesn’t work out in the NFL, then you have an education from the school many thinks is No. 1 in the world. There is a great network that is world-renowned, so there are so many opportunities for me at Stanford.”

Lyons is looking to go into Human Biology. As impressive as the education is, he is serious about football too.

“One of the biggest reasons I chose Stanford is because of their tight end production. Over the last 10 years, Stanford has produced more tight ends for the NFL than any other school.

“Outside of the degree, I know I will be seen at tight end playing at Stanford. The NFL scouts will see me, they like how Stanford develops players at my position, and that was big for me.”

Being close to his family was just icing on the cake. Lyons will be less than two hours from home and he is happy that his family will be able to see him play.