One of the top uncommitted running backs in the 2022 recruiting class will make his verbal pledge live Wednesday on CBS Sports HQ. Jamari Lyons, a four-star defensive lineman out of Viera High School in Melbourne, Florida, will make his choice at 6:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the announcement live in the video at the top of this page, on the CBS Sports App or via your connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV).
Florida, South Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas and Arizona State rank among Lyons’ finalists with the Gators considered favorites to land the talented defensive lineman according to the 247 Sports’ Crystal Ball projections.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, Lyons boasts an SEC-caliber frame from the moment he steps on campus. The industry standard 247Sports Composite ranks Lyons as the No. 352 player in the Class of 2022 and the No. 48 defensive lineman. Lyons entered his senior season of high school with 28 sacks to his name.
If he commits to Florida, Lyons would be the eighth blue-chip member of the 2022 recruiting class and his addition would push the Gators to the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation. Lyons would be the top-rated defensive lineman in the class.
In 2020, Lyons led Viera High School to the third round of the Florida high school state playoffs in the second-biggest classification in the state. 247Sports Southeast Recruiting Analyst Andrew Ivins had this scouting report on Lyons:
An interior defensive lineman with a promising frame and some pass rushing upside given his above-average first-step quickness. At his best when he can fire out of his stance and attack the A gap. Keeps his legs pumping once engaged with a blocker and won’t give up on a play as he’s always looking to cut off a run lane and swallow up a ball carrier…should be viewed as a prospect that can be a multi-year starter for a Power Five program. Could be molded into a three- or five-technique depending on the defensive scheme.
