Takeaways From the First Week of the BYU Quarterback Battle

BYU quarterbacks at Fall Camp | BYU Photo

BYU has wrapped up the first week of Fall Camp. All eyes remain on the quarterback competition as we reach the portion of camp where a quarterback could start to separate himself from the rest of the group. Today, we're outlining our top takeaways from the first week of the quarterback battle.

1. Little Separation So Far

On day one of media observation, true freshman Bear Bachmeier had the best day. On the second day, it was Treyson Bourguet that stood out the most. On day three? McCae Hillstead won the day.

Through one week, there is relatively little separation between the three quarterbacks. They have all had ups and downs. They have all made impressive throws and they have all made some throws they would like to have back.

It's probably not a coincidence that each quarterback that won the day got to run with the first-team offense that day. The equal distribution of relatively little reps has made it hard to differentiate between the three quarterbacks.

2. Bear Isn't as Far Behind as We Expected Him to Be

Bear Bachmeier showed up at BYU in late May/early June after transferring from Stanford. The true freshman spent the last two months learning the BYU playbook and getting as many reps as possible with his new teammates.

Bachmeier came into this competition with a few critical disadvantages. He is competing with Treyson Bourguet, a fourth-year player who is entering his second season at BYU, and McCae HIllstead. This is Hillstead's third season of college football and his second season at BYU. Both Bourguet and HIllstead got starting experience at their previous schools.

Given those circumstances, we expected Bear to start a few steps behind the other two quarterbacks. While we thought he was talented enough to potentially make up that ground during camp, we expected Hillstead and Bourguet to start out with a lead.

Freshman-to-freshman connection as Bear Bachmeier takes a shot downfield and connections with LaMason Waller.

Insane grab from Waller ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4EnGWO0X8V

— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) August 1, 2025

Turns out, Bachmeier isn't as far behind as we expected him to be. On the very first day, Bachmeier looked comfortable and poised. In fact, we thought he had the best day. The disadvantages that he had coming in? They didn't appear to be there. While he has had a few moments where he looks like a freshman, the other quarterbacks haven't been perfect either. It begs the question: if a true freshman, with a higher ceiling, is playing at a similar level as two more experienced quarterbacks - that are closer to their full potential - do you roll the dice and go with the freshman?

There would certainly be growing pains, but they might be worth it to find the right quarterback for 2025 and beyond.

It's a fascinating situation that Aaron Roderick will need to sort through.

3. The Upcoming Scrimmage

When will a quarterback begin to separate themselves? The scrimmage on Saturday seems like the most obvious opportunity. A game setting is where quarterbacks begin to sink or swim. Which quarterback can sustain drives and make critical third-down conversions? Which quarterback can command the huddle and operate the offense?

The scrimmage will be the most important data point of the quarterback battle so far.

4. There is No Deadline

Last week, former BYU offensive coordinator Brandon Doman joined BYU Sports Nation and said the Cougars needed to identify the starting quarterback by the start of this week.

That is not going to happen. Aaron Roderick will take this time to find the right quarterback.

Roderick's philosophy is simple: let the quarterback battle last until the starter becomes the obvious choice. Sometimes the right choice becomes obvious early in camp. Other times it takes the entirety of Fall Camp for a quarterback to separate himself. That was the case with Jake Retzlaff in 2024 - it wasn't until the back half of Fall Camp where he started to separate himself from Gerry Bohannon.

Roderick warned that rushing a decision can come with consequences. With that being said, he wants to make the decision sooner rather than later.

“There’s no deadline, but the sooner the better." Roderick said. "I would prefer not to be naming a starter on game day, but you have to let it play out a little bit too. If you rush it, it creates some other issues. We need to let them compete for a little while...we have to let them compete so we gather enough information to make a good decision.”