Sat Jul 19 04:50:00 UTC 2025: **BYU Football: QB Uncertainty Could Be a Good Sign for Sitake Era**
**PROVO, Utah** – As Kalani Sitake enters his tenth season as head coach of BYU football, the program once again faces uncertainty at the quarterback position. However, history suggests this may not be a bad thing for the Cougars.
Since 2016, BYU has a remarkable 48-16 record (.750 winning percentage) in seasons where the starting quarterback wasn’t determined until late in fall camp. In contrast, during the four seasons with an established Week 1 starter, the team went 24-27 (.470 winning percentage) with only one bowl victory and two losing campaigns.
With Jake Retzlaff withdrawing from BYU, a three-way quarterback competition is now underway between McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, and Bear Bachmeier.
“First of all, there is competition at every position,” Sitake said at Big 12 media days. “But everybody in our program has to be committed, and has to fight for their spot. And then you have to balance it out with loving each other and mentoring and taking care of each other.”
Notable quarterback battles under Sitake include the 2016 decision between Taysom Hill and Tanner Mangum, where Hill ultimately won the job. In 2018, Mangum started the season before being replaced by Zach Wilson, who then had to fight to retain the starting role in 2020 against Jaren Hall and Baylor Romney. More recently, Retzlaff won a late battle against Gerry Bohanon to start in 2024.
Whether a quarterback competition sparks the best performance from BYU, as the statistics suggest, remains to be seen as the team prepares for the upcoming season.
First Piper 