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BYU players congratulate junior Jake Retzlaff (12) after he scored a touchdown during the Big 12 game against Houston in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick talks to the Cougar quarterbacks during the first full day of fall camp in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff throws a pass during the Big 12 game against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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1. How much will the loss of Jake Retzlaff affect the overall production of the BYU offense this coming season?

GURNEY: I think the loss diminishes the Cougar offensive product for the 2025 season in a potentially big way. I felt that Retzlaff’s command of the offense and overall ability to make plays down the field was underestimated by many Cougar fans and it’s very hard to replace a quarterback with a little more than a year’s starting experience. Also, considering Retzlaff was returning for another season made me very bullish regarding his own improvements, and conversely the overall offensive performance.

Retzlaff wasn’t perfect, and still struggled with his red zone productive down the stretch last season, among other deficiencies, but his nearly 3,000 yards passing will be difficult to replace. Furthermore, Retzlaff proved remarkably durable, starting every single game last season while recent BYU quarterbacks have had a difficult time doing as much.

DICKSON: I’ve seen a lot of comments from BYU fans saying the numbers Retzlaff produced can be replaced. Maybe so. But those fans might forget the clutch plays Retzlaff made late in games against Utah and Oklahoma State, for instance. That will be hard to replace, as will his experience and leadership. The quarterback legacy at BYU will live on with somebody else (at least, that’s what we’re hearing) but Retzlaff laid every bit of blood, sweat and tears he had on the field for the Cougars. Whoever takes over and starts on Aug. 30 against Portland State will be surrounded by good talent and maybe the defense will have to carry BYU for a while.

2. What’s your most prescient memory of Jake Retzlaff in your time covering him at BYU?

DICKSON: OK, I’ll take the obvious. His worst moment was probably one of his finest, too. The goal line interception against Oklahoma in 2023 (just his third start) was a huge mistake and probably cost the Cougars the game. But doggone if Retzlaff didn’t sprint his tail off the length of the field to chase down Billy Bowman and just about caught him. That moment taught me a lot about Retzlaff. He wasn’t perfect and had some tough moments then as well as in 2024. But Retzlaff is a guy you’d want in the trenches with you. He’s a teammate you’d go to battle with every time. That is an invaluable resource that the coaching staff will be looking to replace in 2024.

GURNEY: First impressions tend to linger with me, perhaps more than they should, but I’ll never forget the first interview I conducted with Retzlaff. The interview took place during the first few days of the 2023 fall practice session when there was relatively little interest from the media at-large in receiving any quotes from a JUCO transfer that was almost certain to ride the bench during his initial season in Provo.

I immediately noted Retzlaff’s swagger and positive energy, and left the interview with the thought that he’d eventually do some good things for the program. I also remember him bluntly defining BYU Offensive Coordinator Aaron Roderick’s system as the best system in all of college football, making it regrettable that he now very likely won’t finish his collegiate career operating within that system.

3. Retzlaff’s departure leaves just four quarterbacks on the roster for 2025, which includes two true freshmen (Bear Bachmeier and Emerson Geilman.) How big of a concern is overall depth at the quarterback position for 2025?

GURNEY: It’s a tremendous concern. I think a lot of people are taking a healthy quarterback for granted, considering that Retzlaff remained relatively injury-free throughout the 13 games last season. A quarterback accomplishing as much has very much become the exception in this age of college football, rather than the rule, making the overall depth at quarterback a potentially big problem for BYU this coming season.

And the concern isn’t just for the offense, either. Successful defenses are typically aided by going up against viable scout teams throughout the course of any season with the scout team quarterback is usually taxed in taking hits during at least some practice reps. It’s now doubtful BYU will have the opportunity to allow as much contact due to the diminished number of quarterbacks on the roster. It was widely anticipated that Bachmeier would likely operate the scout team this coming season, but that will almost certainly not be the case now, which not only may affect the BYU’s defensive preparation, but Bachmeier’s overall development.

DICKSON: I think I’ll have to see how the depth chart shakes out before I declare the room good or a disaster. Would it have been great for the Cougars to go into the portal and bring in a starter or a player with more starting experience? For sure. But there was no way BYU knew what was going to happen in June. I think offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has to feel fairly good about the guys he has in the quarterback position group. There’s good talent, a little bit of experience and obviously a lot of desire to be the man. And the fact that whoever starts will has gone through the refiner’s fire of a honest-to-goodness fall camp quarterback battle should give Roderick some comfort as well. Between the four quarterbacks, I think the Cougars are in pretty good shape for 2024 and the future, with five-star Ryder Lyons coming in 2027, looks promising.

4. Fans always gravitate to the most decorated recruit in assessing position battles and Bachmeier is unquestionably the most-highly regarded prospect of the quarterbacks, considering his offer sheet out of high school. But will Bachmeier have the time within the program necessary to mount a serious campaign for the starting spot during the fall practice session?

DICKSON: Why is it that every time I look at Bear Bachmeier I think of Taysom Hill? Am I wrong in putting that kind of mantle on the kid? Probably. But I could see Roderick using Bachmeier the way the Cougars did Hill in his freshman year. You know, specialty packages for goal line and short yardage. The perfect scenario of BYU (and Bachmeier) is a full year to get the offense down. He may have that time, but then again, if Bourget and/or Hillstead struggle, his time may have to come sooner. Everything I’ve heard from insiders is that Bachmeier is an offensive savant that picked up the offense very quickly since coming to Provo. Good for him. The proof will come on the field. I think by the time he’s ready to play, there will be an opportunity to step in.

GURNEY: Every player is different with regards to their learning curve, and Bachmeier did qualify for a certain school named Stanford before transferring to BYU, so I’ll go out on a limb and say that he’s very smart. Subsequently his learning curve may not prove as steep as other true freshmen, and he did complete a spring practice session for Stanford, which should aide him in at least some degree.

But that curve is still there for Bachmeier, and he’ll be competing against two players in Treyson Bourguet and McCae Hillstead who have more than a year’s time within BYU’s program along with the added benefit of actual collegiate playing experience. So I’d be very surprised if Bachmeier was named the starter out of the fall practice session, although it wouldn’t surprise me if he began to emerge throughout the course of the season as the team’s top option at the quarterback position.

5. What have been your impressions of both Treyson Bourguet and McCae Hillstead and how do you assess their respective abilities in effectively managing BYU’s offensive system?

GURNEY: I covered Hillstead in high school and was consistently impressed with his ability to operate within and outside of the pocket and make plays when his reads shut down. He has elite athleticism for a quarterback and is a true dual-threat option at the position, which Roderick typically favors.

With regards to Bourguet, I’ve been impressed with his overall demeanor from day one, along with his ability to throw the deep ball during open practice sessions. He’s a very confident young man and always presents himself in a way you’d expect from a starting quarterback. Needless to say, the battle should be a very tight one and Roderick is likely to have a very tough decision on his hands.

DICKSON: My impressions of the physical capabilities of Bourguet and Hillstead are pretty much the same as everybody else. Bourguet has good size and looks the part, Hillstead is good athlete who can hurt you as a runner. I’m probably partial to Hillstead because I watched his high school career. I was always impressed with the way he stood in the pocket, read defenses and delivered the ball to the right spot. His ability to break off a big run was always exciting, too. I learned a lot about Hillstead his senior year at Skyridge, where he got hurt early, missed about five games and came back for the Falcons’ state tournament run. He showed a ton of work ethic and leadership in making that whole season work for him. We all know Roderick loves a mobile quarterback but what’s interesting to me is that Hillstead’s greatest attribute, his running ability, won’t be on display during fall camp because the quarterbacks are untouchable in most settings and the whistle gets blown early.