Aaron Roderick, BYU's offensive coordinator, made it clear after spring ball that he was set with his quarterback lineup. Everything he needed was right there on the roster. So, why the sudden change of heart, dipping back into the transfer portal to sign McCae Hillstead, the former Utah State quarterback?
Here's the deal: Roderick sees it as a unique situation. The Cougars had initially passed on Hillstead when he was coming out of high school. Hillstead then went to Utah State and showed some serious potential. "We just felt like we can't pass on him again," Roderick explained.
Now, BYU has three transfer quarterbacks this offseason, even more than last year when they added Kedon Slovis and Jake Retzlaff. It’s a crowded room, and Roderick is still figuring out how to make it all work. But there's a method to the madness.
Roderick is basically treating Hillstead as if he were a 2025 recruit. Hillstead still has three years of eligibility left, plus a redshirt year. This means Roderick can slot him in without signing a new quarterback for the 2025 class. "We probably won’t sign a quarterback in this class," Roderick stated. "I'll just slide McCae into that slot."
This strategy actually makes sense when you think about it. By considering Hillstead as a 2025 recruit, Roderick is balancing out the room for the next few years. The idea is to have a quarterback for every eligibility range, providing long-term stability.
Here's how the eligibility lineup looks: Gerry Bohanon has one year left, Retzlaff has two, Treyson Bourguet has three, and Hillstead would have four years to play three seasons. Then there's freshman Noah Lugo, who's just starting his clock. It's a bit of a mathematical puzzle, but Roderick believes it can work. "It's actually spaced out in a way," he said. "You never know how it’s going to play out. But there’s hope for everyone, you know, that they can do it [and play]."
Roderick thinks Hillstead is worth the risk, despite the crowded room. He believes it's a "myth" that BYU could have too many quarterbacks. The goal is to keep stacking the room until they find that one standout quarterback. Plus, Hillstead showed he has potential to be a Power Four player. As a true freshman with the Aggies, he threw for over 1,000 yards in eight games. Roderick didn't want to miss out on a local talent twice.
"Everybody passed on him [out of high school]. It wasn't just us," Roderick said. "Power Four teams, or Power Five, whatever you want to call it, no one recruited him." This is tough for Utah State to swallow. They were the only team that believed in the 5-foot-10 quarterback right out of high school. He even started several games as a true freshman and was considered their future. But Hillstead chose to transfer to an in-state, Power Four school that initially overlooked him.
Kyle Cefalo, USU's co-offensive coordinator, shared his thoughts on the situation. "That's where college football is at right now," Cefalo said. "It is what it is. ... We were hoping he was going to stick it out with us and just keep on growing, keep maturing and keep competing. But he made a decision that he wanted to, you know? Maybe felt like he got a better opportunity somewhere else. And he did that.
"I didn't want him to leave, expect him to leave, but I don’t know. You're kind of at the point with this whole transfer deal that the initial reaction is to take it personal. 'I can't believe you're leaving.' But at the same time, it’s hard to get upset anymore. You know what, if you want to leave, I want you to go be happy somewhere. ... Wherever he’s at now, he’ll go have a heck of a career."
BYU is hopeful for the same outcome. They've adjusted their numbers to give Hillstead a chance to shine. It’s a complex game of numbers and strategy, but Roderick is confident in his decision. He believes that Hillstead's potential outweighs the challenges of managing a crowded quarterback room.
To sum it up:
- Roderick initially felt his quarterback roster was complete post-spring ball.
- Hillstead, initially passed over by BYU out of high school, showed significant potential at Utah State.
- BYU has now brought in three transfer quarterbacks this offseason, more than the previous year.
- Roderick views Hillstead as a 2025 recruit, balancing the room for long-term stability.
- The eligibility lineup for BYU's quarterbacks is now well-spaced.
- Despite the crowded room, Roderick believes Hillstead is worth the risk.
- Hillstead's transfer is a reflection of the current state of college football's transfer portal dynamics.
This move by BYU, driven by the desire to not let a local talent slip away again, highlights the ever-evolving strategies teams must employ in the modern landscape of college football.
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