A BYU football coach gives a scouting report on each of the Cougars’ quarterbacks

Provo • The first week of training camp is in the books.

Now it’s separation time.

The Cougars split reps evenly among the quarterbacks through the first three practices to gauge each player. The staff has had time to compile a scouting report on each guy — and get a taste of how the offense would operate with them.

The coaches will whittle the competition down to two quarterbacks as the days wear on.

Here is what they see with just three weeks until opening day.

McCae Hillstead

Hillstead was the most well-known commodity among BYU’s three quarterback options. He played nine games at Utah State and the staff has had a relationship with him going back to his high school days (when he beat current Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson for a state title).

His mobility is likely his best strength at this point. That fits in line with offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s best quarterbacks in Provo. Zach Wilson, Jaren Hall and Jake Retzlaff were all fearless runners who could give defenses an extra man to account for.

“McCae is really dynamic. He’s elusive, he’s dangerous with his legs,” passing game coordinator Fesi Sitake told The Salt Lake Tribune.

But the knock on Hillstead is that he’s listed at 5-foot-10. It’s not disqualifying, but it is a challenge to work around. BYU would have to institute more rollouts from the pocket to make it work — something that could potentially limit the playbook.

Sitake acknowledged the play calls change with Hillstead at the helm.

“Obviously he lacks some height, and that can show up sometimes,” the coach said. “But he’s able to do a great job at maintaining poise in the pocket. We’re able to move him around in our offense. We have the ability to change a lot of the launch points for the quarterback. But McCae’s got a great arm, and he’s doing a great job.”

Bear Bachmeier

Bachmeier is the fan favorite to win the job, simply because the talent is so enticing. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he’s a dynamic athlete that nearly every major program wanted.

He had offers from Georgia, Notre Dame and Alabama. But after a pit stop in Palo Alto, he wound up in Provo. Immediately, the coaching staff is seeing why he was so highly recruited.

“He’s got a great ability to just get the ball out from all different launch points, arm angles, and has a really strong arm,” Sitake said.

Does that remind you of anyone?

Retzlaff was known for his ability to change arm angles and sling it. The offense worked well with that skillset.

But the knock on Bachmeier is that he’s new to the offense. He’s a true freshman who didn’t practice with the Cougars until last week. It is a difficult system to learn, one that many other quarterbacks took years to master. Retzlaff needed two years to be comfortable. Former starter Kedon Slovis never really got it.

But the staff believes the playbook won’t be a big issue with Bachmeier. Roderick mentioned he knows what he needs to do, he just has to work on chemistry.

“Bear’s got it. We’re not the easiest playbook to learn. So he’s done a great job,” Sitake said.

It manifests in how calm Bachmeier is on the field. He doesn’t look overly sped up in team drills. Sometimes he has a tendency to run, which he could get away with in high school, but that can be learned.

“He’s really poised, his pocket presence. He’s got a great demeanor back there, really unfazed if there’s any pressure,” Sitake said. “Been really impressed with that.”

Treyson Bourguet

If there was a quarterback who you would expect to fall off in this quarterback race, it’s Bourguet.

He’s the oldest quarterback and started at Western Michigan, but he’s also the least dynamic. He’s not overly mobile, which can hurt in a system that rewards quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs.

“I don’t know if it’s a weakness. It’s just, of the three, he might be the least athletic. But that doesn’t mean he’s a bad athlete,” Sitake said.

He noted Bourguet made some plays with his legs that alleviated some concern.

“He did a good job today at showing his teammates, coaches, that he can make plays with his feet,” he said. “And he knows the offense really well. He’s the most seasoned of all three of the quarterbacks. He has one more semester under his belt.”

More on Bachmeier

Speaking of the freshman, what would it mean for BYU to get a head start on its future this year?

Back to Retzlaff

Retzlaff is in a quarterback battle in New Orleans. But he is still thinking of BYU. This is what he said about the change.

Anything outside of QB?

What other questions does BYU need to answer in fall camp that doesn’t include the quarterback?