Suddenly, Aaron Roderick has been called to the QB emergency room.
He started the summer with veteran senior quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who’d led the Cougars to an 11-2 season and a win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.
Now, as the dog days of summer approach, just a month before fall practice begins and just as the team is undergoing player-run practice sessions, he’s looking for a starting quarterback.
Roderick is fresh off a key role in obtaining a commitment from five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons last Monday.
Now he is forced into a position of proving to Lyons that he can place an athlete in position to lead, execute and win at the highest level.
And do so before the August moon.
It’s a unique laboratory situation for Roderick and his QB room.
The clock is ticking.
All those reps Retzlaff got in spring practice, his trips to see QB whisperer John Beck in Southern California with his teammates, all those informal passing sessions to keep chemistry going in the offseason with Chase Roberts, Parker Kingston, Cody Hagen, Carsen Ryan and others, just got flushed.
It was just a week ago at the BYU football media day golf outing, one of those guys was explaining how important built-up chemistry with Retzlaff was and the offense was ahead of last year at this time.
As it turns out, Retzlaff’s decision to dally with BYU’s honor code rose up and bit him big time.
Today, Roderick is certainly pulling out his notebook of drills, segment sessions-to-be in practice and designing a catchup plan for his candidates to replace Retzlaff.
He’s got speedy but short, strong-armed McCae Hillstead.
He’s seen the deadly accurate long ball thrown by standard pocket passer, 6-2 Treyson Bourguet.
And, in perhaps the most significant move he’s accomplished since the Alamo Bowl, before the Lyons commitment he recruited, signed and enrolled former Stanford-bound freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, a highly recruited prospect out of Vista Murrieta High in California.
Now, no question this Retzlaff situation is a major setback for the Cougars.
It will force growing pains.
The offensive skill guys will need a quick reset. Chemistry and timing with receivers is so important. It’s a hill to climb, a hurdle to overcome.
Fortunately, the QB is only one of 11 players, but the most important. But it isn’t as if Retzlaff was considered among the top five returning QBs in the Big 12. Those honors go to ASU’s Sam Leavitt, Kansas State’s Avery Johnson, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, Josh Hoover at TCU and Rocco Becht at Iowa State.
Other schools are doing the same, including Colorado and Utah. The Utes are breaking in a new quarterback, Devon Dampier. Yes, he’s had experience at New Mexico, but his relationship with his receivers and tight ends is just as crucial. He lost his top returning receiver after spring practice.
Young quarterback development is a big deal.
Roderick did start a freshman once in Zach Wilson. He did plug in a slightly experienced Jaren Hall. Both ended up in the NFL. Wilson became a No. 2 pick in the NFL draft.
We need to remember ASU’s Sam Leavitt, who led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship and CFP, had appeared in just four games for Michigan State (23 pass attempts) before transferring to Tempe. His experience is similar to that of Hillstead’s at USU and Bourguet played just 10 games over two years for Western Michigan.
In Hillstead, he has an exceptional, heady QB with sprinter speed and a strong arm. He’s known for throwing receivers open, a talent that Jerry Rice once begged Steve Young to learn to do — throw it to where he will be, and he’ll get there.
It was Hillstead, upon his transfer to BYU from USU, whom Aggie play-by-play voice Scott Garrard boldly predicted would be the Cougar starter (over Retzlaff) in 2024.
Several high school experts in Utah who have seen Hillstead extensively at USU and high school, agree with Garrard. One is a football field official, the other is Will Snowden of Alpha Recruits. “It will be Hillstead and it won’t be close,” said Snowden.
Bourguet has an arm. His depth accuracy is impressive. He’s a pocket passer with limited mobility but has the most experience of anybody in Roderick’s room. He’s 6-foot-2 and a playmaker with his arm.
If you line all these candidates up, put them against the wall, or have them run a gauntlet of tacklers, Bachmeier would take first place. He is stronger and has speed for his 6-foot-2, 225-pound size. Although the youngest, he has the most potential to make it in the NFL.
Bachmeier’s offer sheet out of high school is insane. In their most lofty fantasies, Hillstead and Bourguet can only dream they had Bachmeier’s offer list out of high school, which included Stanford, Georgia, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, Washington State, Utah, Oregon State and Michigan.
The SEC heavyweights wanted him.
Wrote Greg Biggins, recruiting guru for 247Sports, “Bachmeier is an exciting dual-threat quarterback who can beat a defense with his arm or his legs. At 6-2, 225 pounds, he’s built like a tank and can take off and run for big yards and does a nice job escaping initial pressure and extending plays.
“He can also beat you from the pocket and is a very competent thrower. He has a strong arm, quick release and can throw from different arm angles. He’s comfortable throwing rolling out to either direction, is a tough kid and a fierce competitor. He wants the ball late in games and has shown a clutch gene in his HS career in being able to rally his team late in games.
“He comes from an athletic family with both of his older brothers playing football at the Power 5 level and we’ve always felt Bear has the highest upside in the family. Also plays basketball and baseball and is a high-end academic student off the field as well.”
There is wisdom in Roderick prepping Hillstead. He could turn to Bourguet, although he doesn’t have the mobility to fit Roderick’s dual threat he loves.
There’s a huge temptation to take talent over experience and let Bachmeier get jump-started on his career, a sort of prelude to Lyons, who is a similar-type dual-threat QB and athletic talent.
As he learns to read defenses and hones down his timing, he can use his legs to extend plays and convert third-downs. He is clay to be molded, an investment to press into action. He didn’t leave his spot at Stanford to go trick or treating in Provo in October.
On the other hand, Roderick knows throwing a freshman out there is a risk. The Isaac Wilson story up the freeway is a good example. Becoming the fast fix for Utah’s injured Cam Rising hurt Wilson and not just the offense but the entire team.
With the opener at home against Portland State, then Stanford, there’s a road trip to East Carolina before the Big 12 opener at Colorado. This is a good ramp for Hillstead, Bachmeier or Bourguet.
Giving Bachmeier a chance, even though his talent is raw, to rise to the top with significant reps in fall practice might be the bandage on this BYU wound.
In Provo, when it comes to QBs, you don’t mess around.
