Because he won’t be competing with the others in this class on even terms; he’ll be competing with them next year when they’ve all had a year in the program and he hasn’t.
GA has already signed the #2 and #8 TEs in this class, and all prognostications suggest they are going to get the #1 TE too. Lyons is #5. Even if he feels he can beat them all out right now, he isn’t joining the team right now. What he will actually have to do is beat all of them out with them all having a year to learn the playbook, adjust to the level of competition, and benefit from strength and conditioning while Lyons spent that same year away from college and football entirely and thus likely not in his best playing shape. It’s a very tough hill to climb, and that’s assuming that GA doesn’t also sign a few more elite TE prospects in next years class too. Would you rather have that gauntlet between you and playing time or go to Utah and potentially be the man right away? Which odds would you like better, even if you had complete faith in yourself?
All that said, I would love to hear the pitch GA has given each of these guys. 4 of the top 8 TEs in the country in the same class? Presuming all 4 end up being as good as advertised (unlikely, but no recruit ever thinks that is going to be him), there’s no way to get all 4 the playing time and targets they deserve.
To me, and as we have seen with many elite recruits, the ceiling is slightly higher with GA but the floor is much higher with Utah. He’ll get a great education, great development as a football player, and great culture at both schools. If he’s as good as advertised, he’ll get the playing time, targets, and stats he needs to get the NFL’s attention at both schools. But if things don’t progress as quickly as he and everyone else likely hopes, where is he more likely to be granted the time he needs to develop and eventually see the field? Where are the coaches more experienced, understanding, and patient welcoming back mission kids?
All things considered, i.e. given what’s in front of him at GA vs what’s in front of him at Utah, where is he more likely to realize the best case scenario, i.e. to be the featured player on the team at his position? Where is he more likely to realize the worst case scenario, i.e. to be so buried on the depth chart that he never gets a realistic chance to break the rotation?
I’m no recruiter but everyone says there’s no way we beat out GA for him. If I’m Lyons, I’m noticing that GA seemingly wants every notable TE prospect in the country whereas Utah only wants me. As such, I’m more inclined to buy into Utah’s plans for me than GA’s, if for no other reason than statistically speaking Utah’s plans for me are more likely to come to fruition.
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