Two Players Earning First-Team Camp Reps In BYU Football QB Battle
Aug 12, 2025, 6:48 PM | Updated: Aug 13, 2025, 9:51 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU football is giving the first team reps at quarterback to two players in the third week of camp.
Those two players are redshirt sophomore McCae Hillstead and true freshman Bear Bachmeier.
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick on the first team QB reps during Tuesday’s practice:
“Bear took the majority and McCae got some as well. … Right now McCae and Bear are getting the reps with the ones and twos. That’s where we’re at right now.”
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 12, 2025
Bear Bachmeier and McCae Hillstead are taking first-team reps
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick noted that Bachmeier took the majority of the first-team reps on Tuesday.
“As I mentioned on Saturday, we can’t keep going with equal reps with three guys anymore,” Roderick said. “Right now, McCae and Bear are getting the majority of the reps with the ones and twos, and that’s where we’re at right now.”
BYU will take a break from fall camp practices with a team bonding retreat in the Heber Valley before returning to practice on Thursday.
During Tuesday’s media observation portion of practice, Bachmeier had a pair of highlight-worthy passes. One pass, while he was running to the right, was completed to Jojo Phillips. Then the play of the day was a well-thrown pass in a tight window to tight end Carsen Ryan.
Hillstead was with the second team offense during the media observation window that was longer than 25 minutes on Tuesday.
BYU football quarterback battle
McCae Hillstead told reporters on the first day of camp that he doesn’t think when he’s operating the offense when asked if he’s mastered Aaron Roderick’s playbook. The former Utah State and Skyridge High signal-caller is in his second season at BYU.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound quarterback started in four games in his true freshman season at Utah State in 2023. He showed off dynamic playmaking ability behind an average offensive line for the Aggies.
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick told BYUtv on Saturday after the first scrimmage that Hillstead is “operating so much quicker” this year compared to the spring, when he was contending to be the backup quarterback.
Bear Bachmeier is a former four-star recruit in the 2025 cycle. He initially signed with Stanford last December and enrolled with the Cardinal in January. Bachmeier was competing to be the starting quarterback in spring ball at Stanford.
Following a coaching change, Troy Taylor was dismissed, leading him to enter the spring transfer portal window in April.
Roderick added on Bachmeier to BYUtv how impressed he’s been with the freshman of how quickly he’s learning BYU’s offense.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
