Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-29vs Idaho State | 15/30 | 178 | 2 | 3 | 5.9 | — | Season-high 178 yds · 3 INTs — rough day |
#2
McCae Hillstead
Junior quarterback for Utah State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 190 lb · Lehi, UT
CFB Index 28 · #126 of 140 QBsHigh confidenceTransferred BYU → Utah State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
178
passing yards · 2026 · through week 3
1 game into 2026 so far
Swing playSwung Utah State from 44% to 69% to win.Idaho State at Utah State · 29-17
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior quarterback for Utah State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Utah State in 2023.
- Transferred from BYU to Utah State in 2026.
In Their Words
347 windows · 2026 fan posts
aggie×807.9olsen×935.5merlin×1403.3hillstead×2806.5field×34.8mccae×7484.1freshman×5.7great×6.0
McCae Hillstead
Operates within the system without forcing anything. Three head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 178 pass yds, 43 rush yds against Idaho State — Week 1, 2026.
178 PASS YDS · 2 PASS TD · 43 RUSH YDS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20238 games
- Signed with Utah State3-star out of Skyridge
2024
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Utah State
Coaching transition mid-career: Blake Anderson → Bronco Mendenhall. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Utah State
2025BYU
2026Utah State
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah State | 15 | 30 | 50.0% | 178 | 5.9 | 2 | 3 | 101.8 | -- | -- | -- |
| 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 | 37 | -- | -- |
| Career | 113 | 193 | 58.5% | 1,273 | 6.6 | 13 | 11 | 124.8 | 37 | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah State | 9 | 43 | 4.8 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | BYU | 5 | 28 | 5.6 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Utah State | 44 | 36 | 0.8 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 58 | 107 | 1.8 | 0 | -- |
Game log
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&10 · Q2 · EPA -5.38(08:12) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass intercepted by #44 J.Perez at USU33 #44 J.Perez return 28 yards to the USU05 (#0 J.Robinson)
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA -4.45(00:25) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass intercepted by #2 T.Shorty at USU45 #2 T.Shorty return 42 yards to the USU03 (#54 J.Nelson), out of bounds
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&14 · Q4 · EPA +3.18(12:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short middle to #7 E.Wood caught at USU46, for 21 yards to the ISU45 (#2 T.Shorty; #46 R.Holt), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&12 · Q1 · EPA +2.97Eli Wood 15 Yd pass from McCae Hillstead (Kian Afrookhteh Kick)
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&4 · Q3 · EPA +2.70(04:42) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short left to #6 D.Starling caught at ISU00, for 4 yards to the ISU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:39, 1ST DOWN #19 K.Afrookhteh kick attempt good (H: #3 L.Rehkow, LS: #55 H.Hatch)
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&12 · Q3 · EPA +2.53(06:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short right to #7 E.Wood caught at ISU25, for 15 yards to the ISU24 (#26 K.Callen), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&7 · Q3 · EPA +2.49(12:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short left to #7 E.Wood caught at ISU42, for 12 yards to the ISU37 (#26 K.Callen), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +2.26(01:29) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead rush middle for 12 yards gain to the ISU47 (#5 T.Saxton), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +2.07(09:03) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short left to #5 R.Haynes caught at USU31, for 23 yards to the USU48 (#6 T.Wilkey), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&12 · Q4 · EPA +1.95(13:32) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short right to #0 J.Robinson caught at USU38, for 13 yards to the USU38 QB hurried by #96 B.Childs (#8 C.James), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Utah State6-7HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning
2025BYU12-2HC: Kalani Sitake · Run-leaning
2026Utah State3-0HC: Kalani Sitake · Run-leaning
2026Utah State0-3HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 178 YDS/g, 2.0 TD/g, 5.9 YPA, 3.0 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bronco Mendenhall
Pass share
54.3%
121 pass / 102 run
Plays / game
74.3
3 games
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,636 recruit in the country is starting at quarterback in the Pac-12 as a junior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Pocket Passer
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
QB
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Brady McBride’s 2021 season.
Differs from Brady on
Class year (lower)
TD rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to DJ Williams’s path through Southern Illinois.
Matches DJ on
Yards per attempt
Completion %
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Kadin Semonza's freshman season at Ball State (2023).
52%match
Differs from Kadin on
TD rate (higher)
EPA / dropback (adj) (higher)
INT rate (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like McCae Hillstead
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #166
Peaked at #166 this season.
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology