- Three quarterbacks compete for BYU's starting position after Jake Retzlaff's transfer.
- McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, and Bear Bachmeier vie for the role.
- Each contender brings unique skills and experiences to the BYU football team.
PROVO — With the guidance of a returning starter at quarterback and building off a top-25 defense a year ago, BYU football was expected to contend for a Big 12 title in its third season in the conference.
Much of those expectations went out the window when Jake Retzlaff withdrew from school and transferred to Tulane following a dismissed civil lawsuit and subsequent reporting of an honor-code violation.
Instead, the Cougars reported to training camp Tuesday and will begin practices Wednesday in Provo, where the quarterback competition between McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier will be front and center.
"Everyone wants the same thing, and that's a Big 12 championship," Hillstead told the CougConnect podcast. "We got really close last year — a difference of one game. I think everyone is united, and that leaks into the quarterback room."
Here's a look at the three contenders to lead the BYU offense.
The local
Hillstead is no stranger to football in Utah, as a former three-year starter at Skyridge High who moved with his family from his native Springville after ninth grade.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound redshirt sophomore started four of eight games as a true freshman at Utah State, where he threw for 1,062 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions despite coming off tightrope surgery in his ankle.
He set an Aggies freshman record with 399 passing yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions against James Madison before transferring following the 2023 season.
Hillstead has the arm, the running capability, and Division I experience. The downside? Most point to his size.
"Being an undersized quarterback, it's interesting when you're getting recruited," said Hillstead, who added that his transfer decision came down to BYU and Utah. "I know I have all the skill, but it takes a certain amount of gumption to go out and offer a kid who is undersized. You just don't know how it's going to pan out.
"I had opportunities early; I got my first offer five games into my sophomore season to Nevada," he added. "But I think everybody wants to play in the Power Five at the highest level, and that wasn't really happening."
The outsider
If there's a quarterback who looks the part, it's the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Bourguet. Like Hillstead, he also has Division I experience as a dual-threat QB.
The redshirt junior transferred to BYU after playing in 10 games over two seasons at Western Michigan, where he threw for 1,314 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions and ran for 219 yards and a score.
Bourguet transferred to BYU with very little connection to the university; the native of Tucson, Arizona, and former Arizona commit is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his family all went to Arizona schools.
Stil, Bourguet points to "the culture" under head coach Kalani Sitake that brought him to Provo — and has kept the third son of Toby and Vanessa Bourguet from transferring again after sitting out all of last season.
"I loved my time at Western Michigan," Bourguet told the CougConnect podcast. "But I will say, the environment and the team culture here — we're all about love and learn ... and it is truly a family here.
"My little brother wants to come out and visit just to be around the guys," he added. "They've truly wrapped their arms around my family and welcomed them as their own. I'm very much about family ... and that is something that BYU has done with my family."
The freshman
Bachmeier is a newcomer to the BYU quarterback room, but the true freshman from Murrieta, California, may have the highest upside.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound signal caller was a four-star recruit by On3 and Rivals, and ranked as high as the No. 11 quarterback in the country by ESPN.
After enrolling early at Stanford and participating in spring practices, Bachmeier — who threw for 6,810 yards and 50 touchdowns in high school — transferred after coach Troy Taylor was fired following an internal investigation into the program.
He then transferred to BYU alongside older brother Tiger Bachmeier, a wide receiver who graduated from Stanford with a degree in computer science in two-and-a-half years.
"Coming out of high school, I was fortunate to hold multiple offers; but a big thing was playing with my brother, who was at Stanford," said Bachmeier, who will wear No. 47 at BYU in honor of his start at running back and middle linebacker. "I just thought the academic excellence at Stanford and the opportunity to play with Tiger outweighed a lot of other factors.
"The second time around ... I just wanted to find a stable situation, specifically with the coaches, but also scheme and the ability to make plays. I think there's no better place to do it than BYU."
