Football recruiting: Bay Area high school star Taeshaun Lyons picks Washington
HAYWARD — Tennyson wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, rated the fourth-best Bay Area high school football player in the Class of 2023 by 247Sports.com, announced on Friday that he will play for Washington.
The four-star recruit had 25 offers, including 15 from Power 5 schools.
Flanked by his mother and father in the Tennyson gymnasium, Lyons had caps of his four finalists — Washington, Notre Dame, Oregon and Miami — on a table.
After a brief ceremony attended by friends and classmates, he chose Washington.
“Up until like three weeks ago, I had no idea where I wanted to go,” Lyons said. “I needed the time. I made the best decision for myself.”
Only Menlo-Atherton wide receiver Jurrion Dickey (third), Pittsburg quarterback Jaden Rashada (sixth) and De La Salle tight end Cooper Flanagan (14th) are rated higher than Lyons among Bay Area seniors on 247Sports.com’s state list.
Dickey (Oregon), Rashada (Florida) and Flanagan (Notre Dame) had already picked their schools.
Lyons is joining a Washington recruiting class that also includes Pittsburg receiver Rashid Williams, who is one spot behind Lyons on 247Sports’ list.
“I’m excited,” Lyons said. “One thing that made me feel better about it is there are people that I know. I am going to the Northwest, but there are people who live down here with me that I can relate to as opposed to going across the country.”
The early signing period starts Wednesday.
Tennyson’s coaches say Washington is getting a special player.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Lyons caught 47 passes for 1,007 yards and 10 touchdowns this fall while leading the Hayward school to a league championship. He was named the West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division offensive player of the year.
“I think he is going to do tremendously well,” Tennyson coach John Pangelina said. “He’s been preparing for this day from the moment that I met him. He’s been focused on going to college. It’s always been his dream. It’s always been what he has worked for.”
Former Tennyson head coach Terry Smith, who called the team’s plays this past season, said, “This guy is special. He belongs. As soon as he gets his feet down there, he’s going to work hard to climb the charts.”
Lyons made playing calling easy.
“Just get him the ball in space and he does the rest,” Smith said. “It was electrifying. Sometimes we’d be in awe of him making people miss and running away from them. It was beautiful to watch.”