Nobody at the FBS level is sweating bullets harder than Kalani Sitake this July. His BYU Cougars are fresh off an 11-2 banger of a season, just wrapped a solid spring, and suddenly? Boom—their starting quarterback’s out. Like, gone. Jake Retzlaff, the gunslinger who had Provo dreaming of a playoff spot, isn’t walking through that tunnel come Week 1. And yeah, things just got spicy in the QB room. So, who’s taking the reins now? What’s really going on with Retzlaff behind the scenes—and where might his landing spot be?
BYU fans barely had time to exhale from the spring showcase before the Retzlaff bombshell dropped. The kid lit up defenses in 2024, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, but it all came crashing down in May. A civil lawsuit accused Retzlaff of assault and strangulation from a 2023 incident. The case got dismissed when the accuser backed out, but at BYU, that’s not the end of the story. The Honor Code is sacred in Provo—and Retzlaff caught a seven-game suspension for violating it. Byjew said Shalom.
That left Kalani Sitake in a mess. With Retzlaff heading out, Sitake had to look in-house. Now, the Cougars are staring down a three-way standoff at QB between McCae Hillstead, veteran Treyson Bourguet, and the wildcard freshman with upside—Bear Bachmeier.
On the June 2 episode of the ‘KSL Sports’ podcast, insider Riley Jensen spilled: “McCae Hillstead has some experience at Utah State. He’s clearly a fantastic athlete. He’s clearly someone who can spin the ball really, really well and knows where to go with the ball..He fits the mold of what I think A-Rod (Aaron Roderick) likes at quarterback—because an athletic quarterback can bail you out sometimes of a bad play call or just a bad situation.” The Utah State transfer is no stranger to action. As a true freshman, Hillstead threw for over 1,000 yards, showing flashes of elite potential when healthy. And that’s the key phrase—when healthy.
At 6’0″ and barely tipping 190 pounds, Hillstead’s frame has raised durability questions, and that’s not unfair. “My worry about him is, he just—he hasn’t been able to make it through a college season. It’s hard. He’s going to have to make some decisions that play into the longevity of him making it through a season.”
Still, the upside is mouthwatering. Hillstead’s got a lightning-quick release, freaky agility, and that ‘oh-no-he-didn’t’ confidence that Aaron Roderick loves in his QBs. He’s tailor-made for Roderick’s tempo-heavy, RPO-based offense. In spring camp, it was Hillstead who consistently ran with the second team—stacking reps, ripping darts, and outpacing Bourguet and Bachmeier in nearly every drill. His clean-pocket throws were money, but once pressure arrived? Not so much. He was sacked on 23% of pressures last season, compared to Retzlaff’s 15%. That’s a glaring stat.
Still, when you stack him up next to Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier? Hillstead’s ceiling is clearly the highest. He’s BYU’s fastest QB, has a solid arm, and already knows the system. That’s why Sports Illustrated gives him a 45% shot to win the job. If he’s cleaned up the turnovers and can stay upright, he’s your guy.
What’s next for Jake Retzlaff?
Now here’s the part Cougar Nation can’t stop chewing on: what happens to Jake Retzlaff? Jake Retzlaff was moving like he had Remy the mouse from Ratatouille in his cleats last year. His game against Southern Illinois? Cooked for 348 and three tuddies. Wyoming? Nearly 300 yards, two scores. Retzlaff wasn’t just playing football—he was playing backyard ball with rocket launchers. And then May happened.
The lawsuit, the Honor Code suspension, and then radio silence. Even with the case dropped, BYU stuck to their values and benched him for seven games. And for a senior QB? That’s a death sentence. You’re not going to light it up from the bench in Week 8. So, naturally, Retzlaff began hunting for a new zip code.
On July 1st, Dave McCann joined 365 Sports and dropped this gem: “He told me he’s gonna be fine, and that his agent’s working some places.” Then came the tease: “We’ve heard, you know, Northwestern, maybe even Notre Dame.” Northwestern? Makes sense. SMU transfer Preston Stone is expected to lead Northwestern’s QB room in 2025, but let’s be real, he lost his starting job to Kevin Jennings last season.
But Notre Dame? That’s a bit stretch. The Irish are betting big on freshman CJ Carr, but adding a proven QB as a safety net ain’t crazy. Especially one with a live arm and wheels. Jake Retzalff is very Notre Dame-esque QB if you think about it.
There’s a catch, though—the calendar. Most QB rooms are already locked for fall. So what’s the move? McCann kept it real: “He wants to play right now. He could call it a redshirt year… learn the offense and go for one last blast.” And honestly, that might be the best bet. Retzlaff could sit 2025, get that eligibility clock reset, and then go scorched earth in 2026 somewhere big.
Whether it’s Big Ten or ACC or even a return to the West, Retzlaff’s next stop is gonna be watched closely. He’s too talented to fade quietly. Just don’t expect it to be in Provo anymore. That bridge is torched—not maliciously, just structurally. 7 games gone? The BYU playbook moved on.
So yeah, Kalani Sitake has his new QB1 in McCae Hillstead—at least for now. Retzlaff’s hunting a new home. And Cougar Nation? They’re just hoping the chaos fades by kickoff.
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