BYU opens the 2025 campaign with a forgiving stretch suited for a new quarterback. The Cougars’ first four outings — an FCS tune-up against Portland State (Aug. 30), a home date with Stanford (Sept. 6), a bye, then trips to East Carolina (Sept. 20) and Colorado (Sept. 27) — supply time, variety and light resistance.
Kalani Sitake enters fall camp without a locked-in starter after uncertainty surrounding 2024 signal-caller Jake Retzlaff, who is expected to transfer following an honor-code probe. Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier, Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead and veteran Treyson Bourguet will duel in camp, each offering a distinct skill set: Bachmeier’s arm talent, Hillstead’s mobility and Bourguet’s experience.
Portland State provides a soft launch. Even if the depth chart remains unsettled, BYU can rotate series, protect the playbook and still expect a comfortable win while gathering live tape.
Stanford, though a recognizable brand, is rebuilding after losing seasons and the coaching change that sent Bachmeier to Provo. It is a step up in athlete quality but not the jarring leap that would overwhelm a new starter.
The idle week on Sept. 13 is ideal. Coaches can digest two games of film, iron out communication issues and, if needed, make a change before the next game. ECU on Sept. 20 is a tricky cross-country flight, yet the Pirates finished just 4-8 last fall and sit near the bottom of the AAC in returning production. A balanced plan heavy on LJ Martin’s ground game should insulate a young quarterback from road noise.
Finally comes Colorado in Boulder. By then the starter will have faced an FCS defense, a rebuilding Power Four roster, a bye’s worth of corrections and a Group of Five road environment. It is still a league road test at altitude but far kinder than plunging straight into TCU or Texas Tech.
The schedule’s staging also helps the supporting cast. Veteran receivers Chase Roberts and Kody Epps offer friendly windows, while a line led by Kingsley Suamataia returns four starters, limiting free rushers. Early opponents lack top-tier pass-rush talent, buying the pocket an extra count as chemistry develops. Defensively, Jay Hill’s group should control field position against Portland State and ECU, giving the offense short fields and margin for error.
Add it up and September looks less like a gauntlet and more like a steadily rising staircase. If BYU reaches October at 3-1 or better, the quarterback room will have earned equity with teammates and trust in Aaron Roderick’s scheme before the Big 12 meat grinder. For a program that has weathered whirlwind QB changes in recent seasons, that breathing space might prove the hidden MVP of 2025.
There is psychological value, too. Because two of the first three games are in Provo, fans can rally behind whichever passer wins the job, building confidence rather than second-guessing. Should Sitake need to pivot, the bye offers a natural reset before conference play. The calendar grants BYU the commodity quarterbacks need most but rarely receive: time to grow under bright lights without being thrown straight into the fire.
