If you think BYU’s 2025 season is doomed without Jake Retzlaff, maybe grab a stat sheet and take another look. Sure, the senior QB had folks in Provo dreaming big last year—but a closer peek shows he wasn’t exactly Johnny Football out there in their 11-win season. Now? He’s out. Honor Code violation. Gone. And Kalani Sitake might just be smirking behind the scenes because this could be a blessing in disguise.

This isn’t a panic situation for Kalani Sitake. It’s a reshuffle that includes a three-headed QB race that’s got Cougar fans on edge: McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, and Bear Bachmeier. All three are in the lab this summer, gearing up for fall camp, but insiders are already whispering that it might not be a three-man race for long. One name might already be slipping out of the front-runner convo.

First, the vet: Hillstead. The Utah State transfer isn’t a great thrower, but he’s clean and steady. 8 games under his belt as a freshman, over 1,000 passing yards, and a clean understanding of how to keep a play alive without doing too much. He may not have BYU fans rushing the field, but he fits the Roderick offense snugly. Then there’s Bourguet—the walk-on warrior. Transferred in from Western Michigan, paid his dues, and grinded in silence, and now? He’s right in the thick of it with 1,300 career passing yards in his back pocket. Then there’s 4-star freshman QB Bear Bachmeier. But as the QB room recalibrates post-Retzlaff, the real question isn’t just who’s next—it’s whether the bar he set is even that high to begin with. And that’s exactly what Matt Baiamonte broke down on the KSL Sports podcast on July 15.

“I don’t think the gap is all that big,” low-key referencing Retzlaff’s departure. “When you look at the production from last year—it’s sub-3,000 yards. It was only 20 TDs. There were 12 interceptions. The completion percentage was below 60%. That’s something that can be replicated by any of the three remaining quarterbacks on the roster.” He’s got a point.

For all the love Retzlaff got, the numbers weren’t exactly Heisman-esque. 20 touchdowns and 12 picks aren’t cutting it for an elite QB badge anywhere. What did get BYU to 11 wins wasn’t air raid magic—it was their defense. In 2024, the Cougars dominated on that side of the ball. In the BIG 12 Conference, they were No. 1 in points allowed (19.6), No. 1 in total defense (309 YPG), and No. 1 in turnovers forced (29). If anything, that defense was the playoff dream.

Matt didn’t sugarcoat the whole truth. “It’s a loss—I’m not trying to say it’s not—but I also don’t feel like… you know, it’s not like you lost Arch Manning or, you know, one of the Heisman hopefuls. I think there’s an opportunity here for one of these guys to come in an do exactly what Jake did last year.” And he might be right.

Following that, JJ brought up an interesting comparison during the podcast: Utah’s Isaac Wilson. “Utah had a four-star true freshman quarterback who they threw into the mix immediately last year… and I think a lot of people looked at what Isaac Wilson had to go through and they went, ‘Oh, he was thrown in there when he shouldn’t have been.’” Interesting case. Isaac Wilson got tossed into the fire last fall when Cam Rising went down. The result? 9 games, 7 starts, 1,510 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 picks. Solid experience, sure. But Utah fans weren’t exactly blown away.

That’s what JJ was getting at: is BYU about to make the same mistake with Bear?

Is Bear Bachmeier QB1 ready? Or is he the odd one out?

Matt Baiamonte thinks Sitake’s smarter than that. “It’s definitely going to be a three-way quarterback battle. I think Bear is squarely in the mix,” he admitted, but immediately added the red flags: “Unlike other freshmen… Bear didn’t do any of that [spring ball, workouts] at BYU. He did that at Stanford. So he’s learning a new playbook. He’s learning an entirely new system.”

Translation? He’s behind. Way behind. While Hillstead and Bourguet have been marinating in the Roderick system all offseason, Bear is still flipping through the playbook like it’s the morning after syllabus day. And let’s not forget, he’s splitting reps three ways. That’s not the recipe for a breakout camp. That’s how you end up QB3 with a headset.

Matt kept going: “A-Rod has always valued taking care of the football and being a playbook master to play quarterback at BYU. And I just don’t know how you do that in a summer and fall camp where you’re splitting reps with two other people.” Roderick’s offense isn’t something you freestyle your way through. It’s chess, not checkers.

So, where does that leave Bear? If he stuns in fall camp—if he really looks like the next Jim McMahon, as Matt joked—then yeah, maybe he forces Kalani’s hand. But short of that, expect this to come down to Hillstead vs. Bourguet.

And that’s not a knock on Bear. The guy’s future is still bright, even with 5-star Ryder Lyons coming in next year. But Kalani Sitake isn’t in a position to roll the dice just to make a splash. Not when you’ve got 2 capable QBs and a playoff-caliber defense. So, yeah—BYU lost Jake Retzlaff. But based on the chatter, Kalani Sitake isn’t shedding any tears. And who knows, maybe the Cougar offense is about to get even better because of it.