Walker Lyons is a Versatile TE for USC.
2026 Usage Outlook · projected share of team plays
Regressed toward the TE mean. Model correlation r≈0.42 on a 2019-2025 walk-forward — volume only; efficiency not projected.
2025 Production
Performance Analysis · 2025 · vs TE peers
Balanced profile without a single dominant trait — contributes across multiple dimensions.
- ▸Top-10% efficiency among TEs — elite opponent-adjusted EPA rate.
- ▸Limited usage share suggests a rotational or specialist role.
- ▸High game-to-game consistency — reliable floor each week.
- ▸9 high-impact games (EPA/play > 0.4) this season — elite ceiling.
- ▸Peak game: 1.98 EPA/play in Wk 11 vs Northwestern (SP+ 6).
NIL Market Tier· 2025
On3 valuation ↗Top-3 player at position nationally. Collective + national brand deals.
Tier is a model estimate based on position, school brand, performance rank, and usage — not a reported deal. NIL deals are private. For a real market valuation, see On3's NIL profile, which factors in social following and actual deal tracking.
Historical Comparables · TE · efficiency + volume + value
Players from 2014–2024 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.
| Player | Team | Yr | Plays | WEPA/play | Line val | Total EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Thompson | Tulane | 2024 | 48 | 0.420 | 0.4 | 20.2 |
| Seth Green | Minnesota | 2018 | 83 | 0.390 | 0.0 | 32.4 |
| Johnny Langan | Rutgers | 2020 | 59 | 0.300 | 0.0 | 17.7 |
| Evan Svoboda | Wyoming | 2024 | 75 | 0.290 | 0.0 | 21.8 |
| Jordan Myers | Rice | 2021 | 59 | 0.270 | 0.2 | 15.9 |
Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.
Game Log · box score + EPA, week by week
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Opp SP+ | Rec | Rec Yds | Avg | Rec TD | Long | EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsMissouri State | W73-13 | -10.7 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | -0.22 |
| 2 | vsGeorgia Southern | W59-20 | -9.4 | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 1 | 26 | 1.86 |
| 3 | @Purdue | W33-17 | -6.1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0.63 |
| 4 | vsMichigan State | W45-31 | -3.4 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 1 | 10 | 0.50 |
| 5 | @Illinois | L32-34 | 12.9 | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 0 | 18 | 0.90 |
| 7 | vsMichigan | W31-13 | 12.4 | 2 | 42 | 21.0 | 0 | 21 | 0.54 |
| 8 | @Notre Dame | L24-34 | 24.4 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 0 | 25 | 0.56 |
| 11 | vsNorthwestern | W38-17 | 5.8 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 1.98 |
| 12 | vsIowa | W26-21 | 19.7 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 9 | 0.73 |
| 13 | @Oregon | L27-42 | 25.9 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | -0.34 |
| 14 | vsUCLA | W29-10 | -8.7 | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 10 | 0.98 |
Usage & Situational · Pro
- Standard downs
- 0.70
- Passing downs
- 0.71
- Pass / Rush EPA
- 0.70 / —
Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).