Kalani Sitake, Nick Saban Both Visit Same California School While Recruiting
Jan 26, 2022, 5:53 PM
BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake and Alabama's Nick Saban. (Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake and Alabama’s Nick Saban were at the same California high school on Wednesday. They were paying visits to the same recruit.
Sitake and Saban each visited Folsom High School, located in Sacramento County, California. The headmen of their respective programs were there to see four-star tight end Walker Lyons.
Thank you to Head Coach @kalanifsitake from @BYUfootball for stopping by Folsom today. We appreciate you! #GoBullDogs pic.twitter.com/HzNvdau4jr
— Scott Robison ® (@CoachScottRob) January 26, 2022
Walker Lyons is a top priority on the recruiting trail
Lyons is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end in the class of 2023. Right now, college coaches can pay visits to recruits at their schools with it being a “Contact Period.” The current contact period runs through January 29.
Saban, the seven-time National Champion, also brought Alabama offensive coordinator and former NFL head coach Bill O’Brien. The Tide were also at Folsom to see Lyons’ wide receiver teammate Rico Flores.
Thank you to Head coach #NickSaban & OC @BiIlOBrien from @AlabamaFTBL For stopping by Folsom today. We appreciate you! #GoBullDogs #RollTide 🐘 @bamainsider pic.twitter.com/968gGchaJE
— Scott Robison ® (@CoachScottRob) January 26, 2022
Lyons is a top priority for BYU in its 2023 recruiting efforts. BYU is currently in Lyons’ Top 11 schools that he announced in November. The 11 schools include Saban’s Crimson Tide, Ole Miss, Ohio State, USC, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Michigan, Oregon, and Texas.
Lyons took an unofficial to BYU back in September
Lyons made an unofficial visit to BYU’s campus on a weekend that could be considered the most significant two days in BYU football history. In September, the All-American Bowl invitee was on campus to see BYU officially invited to the Big 12 Conference and watch them defeat rival Utah for the first time since 2009.
Unofficial visit to BYU was special!! Huge shout out to coaches @kalanifsitake @CoachRoderick @Jasen_AhYou and the rest of the BYU staff for making it such memorable visit!! @JavanceJohnson @FanoSpencer 🤙🏽🤙🏽👀 pic.twitter.com/sdh4CqTIXz
— Walker Lyons (@walkerly0ns) September 15, 2021
Since Lyons took in BYU’s big weekend, the Cougars finished the 2021 season with a 10-3 record and a second consecutive finish in the AP Top 25 polls. Kalani Sitake received an “unprecedented” contract extension by BYU standards that locks him in as head coach in Provo through 2027.
Lyons hasn’t set a timetable for when he plans to announce his decision. But based on the notable individuals from the recruiting trail rolling through his high school these days, there will be a lot of interest in that announcement when it comes.
During his junior year at Folsom High, Lyons hauled in 42 receptions for 646 yards and had seven touchdown grabs.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
