Who will be the starting quarterback for BYU football in 2024?
It’s the big question in the program as fall camp begins in one week.
USF-Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon and Jake Retzlaff are the top contenders for the role.
Kalani Sitake on the QB Battle: "I can't tell you that there's a deadline. When we know, we'll know. We have four quarterbacks who have played college football. … All four of them have played CFB and started games."#BYU #BYUFootball
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) July 10, 2024
Retzlaff started the final four games of last season but failed to win any of them. Bohanon has not played in a game since October 2022, when he suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the entire season.
McCae Hillstead, a Utah State transfer, joined the quarterbacks after spring practice ended in May, and Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet rounds out the top four signal-callers.
“All four of them had played college football and started games,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake explained. “That gives me a lot of confidence, knowing that a lot of things can happen in college football.”
Sitake has not set a deadline for naming a starting quarterback. This could be the year when the competition starts in week one versus Southern Illinois. Even so, one of these quarterbacks must continuously perform at a high level in order to close out the race.
“Fire and accountability”
The late, great John Madden once quipped, “If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you have none.” Does that apply to BYU?
The media would agree with Madden based on preseason projections. The preseason Big 12 poll ranked BYU 13th for the 2024 season.
However, BYU players who have seen Bohanon and Retzlaff compete this summer say the competition has had a beneficial impact on the team.
“It’s the squad leader. Your quarterback is the one that controls the entire offense and the tempo of the game,” BYU wide receiver Chase Roberts told KSL Sports. “The competitiveness has flowed into every position group, including offense and defense. And it has produced a sense of fire and accountability among them. It’s been fantastic for our squad.”
BYU QB competitions bring out the best in Kalani Sitake’s teams
Since taking over as head coach in 2016, Kalani Sitake has always encouraged everyday competition for a spot. There have been some exceptions to the rule for Sitake at quarterback.
Half of Sitake’s previous eight seasons (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023) included a BYU QB starter who did not compete in the fall camp battle. Those four years produced dismal outcomes.
BYU won a total of 24 games over those four years. Two of those four seasons concluded with no postseason action. And in all four of those years, there were three-game or longer losing streaks.
Looking back, Sitake’s finest teams (2016, 2020, and 2021) thrived on quarterback competition.
“It’s available for the taking. I only know one method. “That’s to play the best guys,” Sitake told KSL Sports. “We’ve been in this situation previously, where we had quarterback fights. I believe both players can benefit from it. All four quarterbacks have room for improvement and development. “Whoever deserves the starting spot will be the guy.”
BYU QB unit is making strides entering fall camp
Leaders like senior center Connor Pay are embracing competition as fall camp begins.
“All I want is for them to be better together. And I believe that’s what they’ve done,” Pay said of the quarterback competition. “There is rivalry at every position, as there should be. When someone is chasing you, you tend to run a little faster. I believe they’ve done an excellent job of managing it this summer, which hasn’t been unfriendly, but they’ve been pushing each other extremely hard. They are always battling with one another on the field, during sprints, and in the weight room. It is making them better.
“They both have developed significantly not only throughout spring ball, but even as we move into fall camp and simply seeing them throw the ball during our player-run workouts. These dudes look good, man. “They are making progress.”
BYU football begins fall camp on Wednesday, July 31. The season’s first game takes place one month later, on August 31, versus Southern Illinois in Provo.
