Editor's note: Fifteenth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2025.
A few months ago, the big question facing the BYU football program prior to the 2025 season was simple.
What would the Cougars do for an encore, after the 2024 campaign in which they went 11-2 and almost made the Big 12 championship game surprised nearly everyone?
Well, that question has obviously changed, with the departure of projected starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff . Facing a seven-game suspension for violating BYU 's honor code, the 17-game starter left the program and announced that he was walking on at Tulane.
Now everyone wants to know how the program will respond to the bombshell development , which of the three candidates will get the start Aug. 30 against Portland State (6 p.m., ESPN+), and how far expectations will drop for a team once considered to be a possible Big 12 title contender in 2025.
The candidates to replace Retzlaff in the starting lineup are Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead, Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet and incoming freshman Bear Bachmeier . Hillstead seemed to have a slight edge to be QB2 coming out of spring camp last March, but several people who have observed summer workouts and player-run practices say writing off Bachmeier just because he is less familiar with Aaron Roderick's playbook might be a mistake.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Murrieta, California, who enrolled early and went through Stanford 's spring practices before hitting the transfer portal has a higher ceiling than the others, it would appear.
"We feel awesome about all of them," receiver Chase Roberts said at Big 12 media days earlier this month. "We are confident going into the season that we got the dudes we need to win a lot of games this fall.
We have been getting a lot of reps in, and working a lot, so whoever steps in is going to be our guy, and we are going to roll with it and win a lot of games."
Roberts, who was extremely close to Retzlaff, said morale has remained high throughout the summer and that everybody on the team is rallying behind Hillstead, Bourguet and Bachmeier.
"Things happen and we wish Jake the best, but we have been able to just grind through our workouts, and get ready for the season, and have that 'next man up' mentality," Roberts said. "That is what is exciting about football, is you never know. Your opportunity could come at any moment. We are excited for the fall and to see who steps up."
Players reported on Tuesday and preseason training camp began Wednesday with the first practice at the Zions Bank Practice Fields just outside the Student Athlete Building on BYU's Provo campus. The Cougars have had since May 21, when a since-dismissed civil lawsuit was filed against Retzlaff alleging sexual assault, to prepare for the change.
Sources say those plans were immediately put into place, with the overriding expectation being that Retzlaff had played his last down for the Cougars in the Alamo Bowl, a 36-14 win over Colorado . Sitake was quizzed over and over again in Frisco, Texas , about the QB situation, and would only say that he is confident that a capable signal-caller will emerge.
"Losing players is part of football," he said. "I mean, that's why we try to get our team as deep as possible. The game of football is violent, so injuries can happen. So we can't just rely on one player to make it work for us. Fortunately for us, there are a lot of guys who can play. So I think at quarterback and every position, we feel good about our depth there."
Outside of the quarterback situation, the Cougars return a lot of experience, talent and depth, particularly on defense. BYU boasts one of the top linebacker groups in the Big 12, maybe the country, in Isaiah Glasker, Siale Esera and Jack Kelly.
"Those guys are going to be unbelievable," Roberts said. "I'm excited to see how good that group becomes."
The additions of defensive linemen/edge rushers Keanu Tanuvasa (Utah), Tausili Akana (Texas) and Justin Kirkland ( Oklahoma State ) shore up one area of concern, certainly, as BYU loses most of its starting defensive line, with the exception of Logan Lutui.
Having played in both the Big 12 and the Pac-12 (before it was gutted), Tanuvasa said the Big 12 is more physical and rugged, while the old Pac-12 was more about speed and finesse.
"I think to be an elite team, you have to pay more attention to details. I think any team could be an elite team in the Big 12 this year," Tanuvasa said. "It is about who pays attention to details, and who stays more consistent to them. We have a lot of elite teams (here) and have teams that show signs of being great. But again, it is about the deliberate action of being consistent and holding yourselves to those details."
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake addresses his team during the first day of fall camp, July 30, 2025, in Provo, Utah. | Aaron Cornia, BYU Photo
As for the offense, BYU must replace receivers Darius Lassiter and Keelan Marion , who transferred to Miami, in addition to Retzlaff. Roberts leads a fairly strong receivers group, bolstered by Stanford's Tiger Bachmeier and Reggie Frischknecht of Snow College.
At running back, LJ Martin will be a force in the league if he can stay healthy.
Offensive line is a bit of a question mark, as TJ Woods tries to replace three solid starters: Connor Pay, Brayden Keim and Caleb Etienne . Look for guard Weylin Lapuaho and tackle Isaiah Jatta to emerge as the leaders of that group.
"The guys will rally around (the quarterback)," Sitake said. "They'll rally no matter who gets the nod and who that player is. … Then hopefully that player steps up and then plays out of this world and plays for his teammates. So when that happens, beautiful things can happen."
No question, BYU will have a tough time duplicating last year's success. But the cupboard is far from empty.
The Big 12 did not conduct its usual preseason media poll this summer, but Brett McMurphy of On3.com told the Deseret News that he asked every coach in Frisco to name the two participants in the conference championship game in December.
"They can't pick their own team, and I don't (identify) the coaches, but I had a coach tell me yesterday that if I had asked him two weeks ago, he would have picked BYU," McMurphy said. "So yeah, there is respect there. They were viewed as a legitimate contender before the Retzlaff deal. Now, nobody is quite sure."
Can this BYU team become elite? Can it become one of the Big 12's biggest brands? Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the league needs several teams to step up and challenge for the national championship.
"I think everybody's positioned to do that," Sitake said. "I don't know what the results of the games are going to be. We can play our best game and it still may not be good enough against that opponent that week. The goal is that we play our best consistently.
"I am not into campaigning (for rankings)," he continued. "I don't campaign for things. I just want to be on the field. Let's get the best guys on the field, and see what happens."
2024 record:11-2 (7-2 Big 12)
Aug. 30 — vs. Portland State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 6 — vs. Stanford, 8:15 p.m.
Sept. 13 — Open
Sept. 20 — at East Carolina, TBA
Sept. 27 — at Colorado, 8:15 p.m.
Oct. 3 — vs. West Virginia , 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 11 — at Arizona , TBA
Oct. 18 — vs. Utah, TBA
Oct. 25 — at Iowa State, TBA
Nov. 1 — Open
Nov. 8— at Texas Tech, TBA
Nov. 15 — vs. TCU, TBA
Nov. 22 — at Cincinnati TBA
Nov. 29 — vs. UCF , TBA
