McCae Hillstead is returning to where his college football career began.
On Thursday, Hillstead announced via social media that he is transferring back to Utah State following two seasons at BYU.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Hillstead was a star quarterback in high school and then signed with Utah State as part of the Class of 2023.
As a true freshman for the Aggies that year, he completed 94 of 158 pass attempts for 1,062 yards with 11 touchdowns against eight interceptions and then transferred to BYU.
After redshirting the 2024 season he was part of the quarterback competition in Provo in the summer of 2025, which true freshman Bear Bachmeier won.
Hillstead completed four of five pass attempts in 2025 for 33 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and entered the transfer portal.
In his return to Utah State, Hillstead should be in the mix in yet another quarterback competition, as the Aggies’ 2025 starter, Bryson Barnes, graduated.