McCae Hillstead
McCae Hillstead
Operates within the system without forcing anything. Two head coaches in two seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 33 pass yds, 23 rush yds against Portland State — Week 1, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kalani Sitake
Career stats
| Season | Team | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | BYU | 4 | 5 | 80.0% | 33 | 6.6 | 0 | 0 | 135.4 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Utah State | 94 | 158 | 59.5% | 1,062 | 6.7 | 11 | 8 | 128.8 | -- | -- |
| Career | 98 | 163 | 60.1% | 1,095 | 6.7 | 11 | 8 | 129.0 | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | BYU | 5 | 28 | 5.6 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Utah State | 44 | 36 | 0.8 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 49 | 64 | 1.3 | 0 | -- |
How he plays
Play style
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
BYU
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Quarterback · BYU
Returning around him
- 87% of 2024 offensive production back (Strong continuity)
- 2 BYU players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -4 net (9 in / 13 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
BYU · Last season: 12-2 (AP #12) · Talent rank #70 · 2026 recruiting class #21
DNA match
Player DNA
Pocket Passer
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Brady McBride’s 2021 season.
Differs from Brady on
Through 1 college season, his career arc tracks closest to DJ Williams’s path through Southern Illinois.
Matches DJ on
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Kadin Semonza's freshman season at Ball State (2023).
Differs from Kadin on
Player DNA
Players who play like McCae Hillstead
Development
Development Trajectory · passing yards
2023–2025-97%
Sharp dropoff (-97%) — career inflection point.