Former BYU QB McCae Hillstead Named Starting QB at Utah State

Hillstead spent the last two years as a backup at BYU

BYU quarterback McCae Hillstead at Fall Camp | BYU Photo

Former BYU quarterback McCae Hillstead has earned the starting job at Utah State, the school announced on Monday. Hillstead started his career at Utah State in 2023 and he earned multiple starts as a true freshman. After his freshman year, Hillstead entered the transfer portal and committed to BYU.

Your new Aggie QB1⃣: @mccaehillstead

✍️ ➡️https://t.co/z39VhzJuXx pic.twitter.com/GaQoBYHzCh

— USU Football (@USUFootball) April 20, 2026

Hillstead was the third-string quarterback at BYU behind Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon in 2024. In 2025, Hillstead was one of two finalists competing for the starting quarterback job last fall before true freshman Bear Bachmeier was named the starter. Hillstead appeared in a few games in a reserve role, but he never earned a start at BYU. In total, Hillstead threw just five passes at BYU.

Following the 2025 season, Hillstead opted to enter the transfer portal and return to Logan where he started his college career. Now, Hillstead will lead the Aggies under former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall. After hosting Idaho State in the season opener, Hillstead will have two tough road games at Washington and at Utah.

Where BYU's Quarterback Room Stands Without McCae Hillstead

If Hillstead was still on BYU's roster today, he would likely be the backup behind Bear Bachmeier. Without HIllstead on the roster, BYU has just three scholarship quarterbacks: Bear Bachmeier, Treyson Bourguet, and Enoch Watson.

For the first time in years, there is no question who will be BYU's starting quarterback in week one. Bear Bachmeier will lead the Cougars when they kickoff the 2026 season against Utah Tech. Behind Bachmeier, the backup job is up for grabs.

Throughout Spring Camp, Treyson Bourguet and Enoch Watson shared reps with the second-team offense. By the time camp was coming to a close, Bourguet was getting the lion's share of reps with the twos. We would pick Bourguet to win the backup job if the season started today.

Enoch Watson could close that gap, however, by the time Fall Camp begins. He is an athletic quarterback that won accuracy competitions in camp settings in high school. If Bachmeier sustained a long-term injury, BYU could opt to go with the younger Watson. If BYU needs a quarterback to finish a game or make one start, Treyson Bourguet seems like the obvious choice.

Bourguet's chief strength is his ability to consistently make deep throws with accuracy. He has flashed that skillset throughout his time at BYU. Bourguet is entering his third year at BYU after transferring in from Western Michigan. At WMU, Bourguet earned a handful of starts in two seasons.