Previewing Utah State’s 2026 quarterbacks room

LOGAN, Utah – There’s no quarterback controversy in Logan as the Utah State Aggies prepare to host Idaho State in their Sept. 5 home opener.

Redshirt junior McCae Hillstead was named the starter following spring practices, and barring injury, he is the clear choice to lead this team.

“Not only his performance through spring, but I would say leadership,” head coach Bronco Mendenhall said when asked about Hillstead. “Players believe in him; a confidence and an experience level. I think all kind of cumulatively made it a clear choice for us since that time.”

That clarity at the top is a luxury for a program entering its first season in the Pac-12, but it doesn’t eliminate the question that matters most heading into fall camp: What happens if Hillstead can’t finish what he starts?

RELATED: McCae Hillstead primed to lead in return to Utah State

Bronco Mendenhall has a simple standard for Utah State: greater than, not equal to.⁰ ⁰From the players to the staff to himself, Bronco wants Utah State to keep getting better.⁰ ⁰And he wants this program to represent Cache Valley 💙🐄⁰⁰Full interview on KSL Sports Front Row… pic.twitter.com/XseMWhHm6o

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 10, 2026

After spending two years behind the BYU depth chart, the former Skyridge all-state quarterback and 6A state champion returns to Logan with a rebuilt body, a fresh outlook and the maturity to help the Aggies become a dangerous team.

In a perfect world, Mendenhall and the Aggies would run a healthy Hillstead out for 12 regular-season games, a Pac-12 championship game appearance and a future bowl game.

In reality, it is extremely rare for a team to have the luxury of leaning on one signal-caller for an entire season. Not even 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza played every snap while leading his Indiana Hoosiers to an undefeated record and a national championship.

Injuries, inconsistent performance, blowouts and a host of other adversities force programs to rely heavily on multiple players at the position each year.

Utah State’s only returning quarterback from 2025 is Anthony Garcia, a multi-dimensional athlete who is now listed as a wide receiver on the roster. Mendenhall has already acknowledged that Garcia will get snaps in a variety of roles, including quarterback.

Behind them is a huge question mark in a graduate transfer and three freshmen on the roster.

McCae Hillstead – Redshirt Junior

Hillstead played eight games, including four starts, for the Aggies as a true freshman in 2023. He battled through a variety of injuries to throw for 1,062 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

 

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He redshirted at BYU in 2024 before serving as Bear Bachmeier’s backup the following year. Hillstead was 4-of-5 passing for 33 yards and ran five times for 28 yards in five appearances.

Grady Brosterhous – Graduate Senior

Virginia graduate transfer Grady Brosterhous comes to Logan with 13 games of collegiate experience but hasn’t played since 2024 because of an injury.

His experience comes more from running than passing.

The 6-foot-3, 219-pound quarterback attempted one pass, completing it for 21 yards during the 2023 season. He has 14 career rushing attempts for 21 yards and four touchdowns.

Brosterhous earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia and is pursuing a master’s degree in applied sport coaching.

He helped lead Weddington High School to back-to-back North Carolina 4A state championships in 2018 and 2019.

Kaleb Maryland – Freshman

A 5-foot-11 true freshman out of Houston, Kaleb Maryland was rumored to be competing for the starting job in the spring before Hillstead won it.

A three-time district champion with North Shore High School, he threw for 3,387 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior, adding 500 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Maryland was a two-sport star, excelling in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint events in track and field.

Crew Cacciacarne – Freshman

Joining Hillstead as the only Utah State quarterbacks from the Beehive State, Crew Cacciacarne was Utah’s 6A first-team Region 6 quarterback as a senior at Weber High School.

The 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback was productive as a junior, throwing for 2,281 yards, 25 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 68% of his passes.

He added 1,921 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions as a senior.

Brady Goodman – Freshman

Rated a three-star recruit and the 41st-best prospect out of Arizona in 2025, Brady Goodman helped lead the Mountain View Toros to the Open Division quarterfinals for the first time in school history.

He enters his freshman season in Logan as a two-time East Valley Region Player of the Year after accounting for 100 prep touchdowns and 7,087 total yards.

Goodman offers the best size in the quarterback room, checking in at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.

Looking ahead

For now, the Aggies have their guy.

Hillstead’s arm, experience and hunger to prove himself make him the clear QB1 heading into Sept. 5.

But in a quarterback room full of unproven arms and untested legs, Utah State’s depth at the position will be tested long before the Pac-12 schedule arrives — and Mendenhall knows it.

Following Utah State football with KSL Sports Zone

The Aggies open the 2026 season against Idaho State on Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium on September 5. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. MT.

Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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