PROVO — The obvious became reality Sunday as multiple outlets took turns reporting Jake Retzlaff’s football career has come to a premature and embarrassing end.
For the BYU coaches, the news came as no surprise. Soon after the civil lawsuit alleging Retzlaff of sexual assault became public last month, the coaches began preparing for life without their starting quarterback.
Faced with a suspension that could sideline him more than half the season, Retzlaff is pursuing transfer options. Having already graduated, he would be eligible to play immediately.
The Deseret News reported he is expected to announce early this week his new destination. The lawsuit likely could be resolved along the same timeframe, clearing the way to another school to let Retzlaff transfer in.
Ultimately, BYU had no choice but to discipline Retzlaff once his legal representatives in response to the lawsuit denied the allegations but acknowledged he had a “consensual” interaction with the alleged victim in November 2023. In essence, Retzlaff admitted to breaking the BYU honor code that prohibits premarital sex.As the starting quarterback last season for an 11-2 team that finished ranked No. 13, Retzlaff was by far BYU’s highest-profile player. He also seemed to revel in the positive publicity that came from being the program’s first Jewish quarterback.
For BYU, the situation has garnered widespread attention similar to the Brandon Davies suspension in 2011. Davies was dismissed from the basketball team, which was 27-2 and ranked third in the country at the time, leading up to the NCAA Tournament.
The incredible play of Jimmer Fredette, who would go on to win national player of the year, brought unprecedented attention to BYU basketball. The difference is the Davies suspension, which was criticized as unduly harsh, did not involve any alleged illegal wrongdoing.
All during the offseason, head coach Kalani Sitake and the offensive staff had been anticipating opening the full playbook for Retzlaff, who was scheduled to enter his third year in BYU’s system. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said in several interviews that next season’s goal was for Retzlaff to complete 75% of his passes, which would be a significant increase over last year.
Instead of a quarterback with 17 career starts at BYU, the focus now turns to evaluating an intense competition that formally begins with training camp in August. None of the three quarterbacks expected to vie for the position has started a game at BYU, but two have FBS experience.
Redshirt sophomore McCae Hillstead played in eight games, starting four, for Utah State two years ago. A three-year starter for Skyridge High in Lehi, he threw for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns during his only season with the Aggies.
Redshirt junior Treyson Bourguet played in 10 games over two seasons for Western Michigan, passing for 1,314 yards and six touchdowns. He was also stellar in high school, playing for Salpointe Catholic in Tucson, Arizona.Both quarterbacks are solid choices, but neither has the overall skill set of incoming freshman Bear Bachmeier. BYU recruited Bachmeier with the intent for him to learn the playbook for one season before becoming the starter in 2026.
The new plan is to force feed him during the summer in hopes of learning as much as possible. If the freshman proves good enough in camp, Roderick will recommend Sitake start Bachmeier to begin the season against Portland State in two months.
Playing at Murrieta Valley High in California, Bachmeier is a dual-threat quarterback who initially chose Stanford from among a host of scholarship offers. He participated in spring practice and won the starting job before transferring to BYU in May along with his brother, Tiger, who is a receiver.
“We’re excited for one to emerge and to see what happens with the quarterback situation,” returning star receiver Chase Roberts said after last week’s annual BYU media golf tournament
