Ja’Kobi Lane and Walker Lyons Sign with USC Football
Soccer | February 01, 2023
History ties LOS ANGELES — Two football players have signed with the Trojan football program, USC head football coach Lincoln Riley announced today (February 1).
Ja’Kobi Lane, a wide receiver from Red Mountain HS (Arizona), and Walker Lyons, a tight end from Folsom HS (California) will join the Trojan team.
Lane and Lyons will join the 19 high school players who signed with USC last December to make up USC’s signing class of 2023: WR Zachariah Branch, OL Micah Banuelos, DB Maliki Crawford, LB Tackett Curtis, TE Kade Eldridge , DL Sam Greene, DL Elijah Hughes, RB Quinten Joyner, DL Deijon Laffitte, WR Makai Lemon, QB Malachi Nelson, OL Alani Noa, OL Elijah Paige, RUSH David Peevy, RB A’Marion Peterson, DB Christian Pierce, OL Tobias Raymond , RUSH Braylan Shelby and OL Amos Talalélé.
Branch, Crawford, Curtis, Greene, Joyner, Lemon, Nelson, Paige, Peterson and Pierce, as well as transfers DL Kyon Barrs, ILB Mason Cobb, PK/P Eddie Czaplicki, OL Jarrett Kingston, RB MarShawn Lloyd, DL Anthony Lucas, RUSH Jamil Muhammad, DB Christian Rolland-Wallace, WR Dorian Singer, DL Jack Sullivan and OL Michael Tarquin, are all enrolled at USC and will attend spring training in 2023. The other 10 signers, including Lane, will join the Trojan program at fall, with Lyons joining in 2024 due to his Mormon mission in Norway.
Biographies of Lane and Lyons are below.
WR Ja’Kobi Lane – Red Mountain HS (Arizona)
He made the 2023 All-Western PrepStar region after catching 65 passes for 823 yards (12.7 average) and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 38 yards on 15 carries (2.5 average) to help Red Mountain HS (Arizona) to reach the 2022 Semi-Finals 6A. He also went 2 for 3 passing for 96 yards for 2 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he registered 3 tackles. On special teams, he recorded 6 kickoff returns for 128 yards (21.3 average) with a length of 40 yards and 1 punt return. Lane was selected to the 2022 12Sports All-Fever Team, 2022 All-6A East Valley All-Region First Team and won the 2022 National Football Foundation Arizona Chapter, the JD Hill Wide Receiver of the Year Award and the All-6A East Valley 2022. Co-Offensive Player of the Year award in all regions. He was also named the 2022 Elite 11 All-Tourney Wide Receiver MVP. In his junior season in 2021, he was named to the AZPreps365 6A Conference Second Team. He caught 76 passes for 990 yards (13.0 average) and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 5 yards on 1 carry (5.0 average). He also went 3-for-4 passing for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 1 tackle with 1.0 for loss and 1 INT. On special teams, he collected 3 punt returns for 46 yards (average of 15.3) with a length of 23 yards. He also played basketball for Red Mountain.
TE Walker Lyons – Folsom HS (California)
He was selected to compete in the 2023 Under Armor All-American Game where he was honored as the All-American Bowl Man of the Year for his high level of excellence in community service and athletic distinction. In 2022, he suffered a season-ending leg injury in the first game of his senior season. He earned a placement on the 2022 Preseason All-State MaxPreps California Team. As a junior, he had 42 receptions for 646 yards (15.4 average) and 7 touchdowns. Defensively, he made 12 tackles including 4 for loss and 1.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. On special teams, he threw 4 times for 110 yards (27.5 average) with a 37-yard long and 6 kickoff returns for 50 yards (8.3 average) with a 12-yard long . He was selected to the 2021 MaxPreps California All-State Second Team and the 2021 MaxPreps All San-Joaquin Section Football Team. As a sophomore, he recorded 17 receptions for 281 yards (16.5 average) and 5 affected. Defensively, he had 19 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 2.0 sacks with 1 deflected pass, 1 fumble recovery and 1 forced fumble. Lyons will join the program in 2024 as he leaves for a Mormon mission in Norway.