Former BYU QB McCae Hillstead primed to lead in return to Utah State

LOGAN (KSL.com) — It has been more than two and a half years since McCae Hillstead last took a snap for Utah State.

Now the quarterback is back in Logan, ready to lead the Aggies into the Pac-12 under an entirely new coaching staff.

Hillstead, a three-year starter at Skyridge High School in Lehi, was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 15 prospect in Utah in the Class of 2023 after leading the Falcons to their first state championship — a 17-7 victory over Corner Canyon in the 6A title game.

He started four games as a true freshman at Utah State in 2023, throwing for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions before transferring to BYU.

He spent two seasons with the Cougars, appearing in five games but never earning the starting job, before entering the transfer portal in December and returning to USU in January.

Despite the familiar setting, Hillstead said the program feels completely different under second-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

“Following my visit, I just knew that this was the place for me,” Hillstead said at Utah State’s Pac-12 media day. “The changes I felt were so significant that it wasn’t really that I was returning to the same school whatsoever. Obviously the same school, of course, but the environment and the things that shaped the experience were so much different.”

Hillstead added that Mendenhall’s approach has accelerated his personal growth.

“Coach Mendenhall, his mentality and his culture is so much different than any culture that I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “I’ve felt a lot of personal development for myself.”

Hillstead was named the starter in April after winning a spring competition over Virginia transfer Grady Brosterhous and freshman Kaleb Maryland.

“Not only his performance through spring, but I would say leadership,” Mendenhall said when asked about Hillstead. “Players believe in him; a confidence and an experience level. I think all kind of cumulatively made it a clear choice for us since that time.”

He said he is far better prepared for the role than he was the first time around, when he replaced Cooper Legas in week three of the 2023 season and made his first career start against James Madison.

“I think that the moment — it was a lot, taking that all in at the time,” Hillstead said.

His debut start produced a program freshman record of 399 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 45-38 loss, but his overall completion rate hovered near 59%, and he threw eight interceptions in eight appearances.

Now 21, Hillstead said he returns to the huddle with a mature perspective, improved decision-making and a stronger frame built over two years of development.

“He’s not clamoring for attention, and he’s not racing for the spotlight, and he’s not craving recognition amongst his peers,” Mendenhall continued. “He’s just systematically building this team.”

“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people this year,” Hillstead said.