The BYU Cougars kick off the 2025 season in 3 days against Portland State. As we continue counting down the days until kickoff, today we will profile the player who wears No. 3 - redshirt sophomore quarterback McCae Hillstead - by providing three interesting, fun facts:
Fun fact No. 1 - He was a solid local high school recruit
Playing his high school ball at Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah, McCae Hillstead was a three-star prospect with an 85 rating at 247 Sports. He was the No. 15 overall prospect in the state of Utah in 2023, one spot ahead of Ryder Burton who originally committed to BYU then transferred to West Virginia. McCae's offer sheet coming out of high school included the likes of Utah State, Washington State, Nevada, and Florida International. He committed to Utah State out of high school.
Fun fact No. 2 - He played as a freshman at Utah State
Beginning his college career in Logan was a wise choice for the 5-foot-10 quarterback. He was given the chance to start several games as a freshman in 2023 and played pretty well, throwing for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 59.5 percent of his passes. He is also a dynamic runner when escaping the pocket. But being undersized, he also dealt with injuries during his freshman stint at Utah State and ultimately chose to transfer to BYU before the 2024 season.
Let’s work! @BYUfootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/p8xIE9t3IT
— McCae Hillstead (@mccaehillstead) April 25, 2024
Fun fact No. 3 - He has the faith of BYU's coaching staff
Football is a brutal game and while we all hope starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier has a healthy and productive freshman season, the reality is McCae Hillstead is just one play away from leading BYU's offense. If Bear Bachmeier gets injured or is otherwise unable to play, BYU's Big 12 title aspirations will fall on McCae Hillstead's shoulders. All indications from Provo is that BYU's coaching staff is confident in Hillstead should that situation occur, and that's a luxury for a team on the rise like the BYU Cougars.