USC has already seen more than a dozen players announce their intention to enter the transfer portal since the conclusion of the regular season. The vast majority of those players, however, were guys who were not projected to play major roles in 2026. On Wednesday, however, the Trojans lost a player who was: tight end Walker Lyons.
As a sophomore in 2025, Lyons has played a key role as USC’s No. 2 tight end behind Lake McRee. He finished the regular season with 20 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns. With McRee off to the NFL, Lyons was projected to take over as the starter at the position next season, so his departure is a major loss.
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Lyons’s younger brother, Ryder, recently signed with BYU as one of the top quarterback recruits in the class of 2026. There are rumors that the elder Lyons could potentially transfer to Provo to play with his brother.
With Lyons’s departure, USC will have to look elsewhere for tight end production in 2026. The Trojans recently signed class of 2026 five-star Mark Bowman and top junior college tight end Josiah Jefferson. However, they do not have much Division I experience returning at the position. It will be interesting to see if USC looks to add a veteran tight end in the transfer portal, or if the Trojans trust their young guys to come in and carry the load right away.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football’s Walker Lyons enters NCAA transfer portal
