Stop right here if you've already heard it: BYU will have a quarterback competition during fall camp this year.
Jake Retzlaff and Jerry Bohannon will likely continue to compete for the starting spot, and new transfers MacKay Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet could make the roster interesting.
The Cougars’ chances of achieving bowl eligibility and Big 12 respectability will depend in large part on who they select as QB1, so Kalani Sitake’s team can’t afford to get it wrong.
Luckily for coaching staffs, there's a brand new, foolproof tool that can predict how each quarterback prospect will perform: the EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
In the name of science, I used the Early Access version of the game to try and solve BYU's QB conundrum: In Dynasty mode, I simulated the Cougars' 2024 campaign three times, with a different quarterback as the starter each time (Hillstead wasn't able to participate in this experiment, as he's not in the game; I'll miss him when he's gone).
I used BYU's default roster and made no changes to the depth chart other than the quarterback, and injuries were turned off for this exercise to keep the simulation fair and consistent.
Most importantly, he didn't play a single snap in any of these games, meaning he was able to fully simulate everything without any outside input.
Below are the results of the three simulations, detailing how the game projected BYU's chances with Bohannon, Retzlaff and Bourgé each playing center.
Jerry Bohannon (79th overall)
Passing Statistics: 4,165 yards, 39 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 74% completion rate and 180.0 passer rating.
Rush Stats: 486 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, four touchdowns and one fumble.
Season results: 8-5 (5-4 in the Big 12).
- Southern Illinois: 56-42 win
- @ SMU: 41-24 loss
- @ Wyoming: 28-10 win
- Kansas State: 31-28 win
- @ Baylor: 42-41 win
- Arizona: 49-35 L
- Oklahoma State: Lost 36-21
- @ UCF: 44-42 win
- @ Utah: 42-14 loss
- Kansas: 13-10
- @ Arizona State: 46-44 win
- Houston: 24-17 win
- Alamo Bowl vs. Indiana: 42-19 win
Big 12 Champions: Oklahoma.
Heisman Trophy Winners: Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
College Football Playoff Finals: Oregon beat Arizona.
summary: Bohannon had a great season for the Cougars, breaking the team's single-season passing record and earning a spot on the Big 12 Conference second team. His 39 touchdowns are third-most in school history behind Ty Detmer and Jim McMahon.
BYU's offense has emerged as one of the most efficient units in the nation, averaging 32.1 points per game and surpassing 40 points five times.
L.J. Martin led a solid Cougars running game, averaging over five yards per carry and reaching the end zone 10 times.
Receivers Parker Kingston and Chase Roberts became the first BYU pass-catching pair since Austin Collie and Dennis Pitta to each reach 1,000 yards receiving, with Roberts also catching 13 touchdowns.
As the defense struggled, allowing 32.6 points per week, Tyler Battey was named to the Big 12 first team with 6.5 sacks and Micah Harper had three interceptions.
Jake Retzlaff (75th overall)
Passing Statistics: He threw for 3,752 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions, completed 70% of his passes and had a passer rating of 157.4.
Rush Stats: 370 yards, 3.8 yards per carry, three touchdowns and six fumbles.
Season results: 6-7 (3-6 in the Big 12).
- Southern Illinois: 35-14 W
- @ SMU: 28-20 win
- @ Wyoming: 27-24 win
- Kansas State: 49-21 loss
- @ Baylor: 21-16 loss
- Arizona: 45-29 L
- Oklahoma State University: 27-13 L
- @ UCF: 49-17 loss
- @ Utah: Lost 35-17
- Kansas: 34-31 win
- @ Arizona State: 35-24 win
- Houston: 41-34 win
- Sun Bowl vs. Arkansas: 40-22 loss
Big 12 Champions: Utah.
Heisman Trophy Winners: University of Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
College Football Playoff Finals: Oregon beat Utah.
summary: After a hot 3-0 start, BYU lost six straight Big 12 games before finally bouncing back together and winning its final three games to earn bowl eligibility.
Retzlaff showed great improvement from his 2023 season, when he had the second-fewest interceptions among Big 12 Conference quarterbacks and ranked fifth in the conference in passing yards, solidifying his future in Provo.
The inconsistent Cougars were plagued by a mediocre run game, failing to gain more than 1,000 total yards on the ground and averaging just 3.6 yards per attempt as a team.
Cody Epps led BYU's offense with 983 yards receiving and six touchdowns, while tight end Jackson Bowers was named Freshman All-American after rushing for 726 yards and eight scores.
The defense allowed nearly 32 points per game, but the Cougars' pass-rush trio of Tyler Battey, John Nelson and Blake Mangelson combined for 20 sacks and five forced fumbles.
Treyson Bourguet (75th overall)
Passing Statistics: He threw for 4,020 yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, completed 69% of his passes and had a passer rating of 156.7.
Rush Stats: 237 yards, 3.3 yards per carry, two touchdowns and two fumbles.
Season results: 7-6 (4-5 in the Big 12).
- Southern Illinois: 37-19 win
- @ SMU: 38-27 win
- @ Wyoming: 51-3 win
- Kansas State: 29-17 win
- @ Baylor: 26-24 win
- Arizona: 24-20 L
- Oklahoma State: 27-3
- @ UCF: 37-34 win
- @ Utah: Lost 31-24
- Kansas: Lost 38-24
- @ Arizona State: 31-23 win
- Houston: Lost 38-21
- Las Vegas Bowl vs. Washington: 21-16 L
Big 12 Champions: University of California, Berkeley.
Heisman Trophy Winners: University of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
College Football Playoff Finals: Ohio State beat Michigan State.
summary: BYU started the season with five straight wins and a 6-2 record, putting them in the thick of conference contention, before stumbling late in the game but still comfortably qualifying for a bowl berth.
Bourguet impressed in his first start, becoming the Cougars' first player since 1996 to pass for 4,000 yards and throwing the fewest interceptions among Big 12 Conference quarterbacks. He led BYU to a 5-1 road record, including a win over eventual conference champion UCF and coming within one point of beating rival Utah.
Jay Hill's defense was stellar, allowing only 25.1 points per game and finishing second in the league in sacks behind Utah. Tyler Batty, John Nelson, Jack Kelly and Isaiah Bagner all combined for 30 sacks, while Ben Bywater had seven interceptions and scored three points on defense.
Outside of L.J. Martin's 547 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, the Cougars only managed 2.6 yards per carry and three touchdowns, while Chase Roberts had 1,204 yards and nine touchdowns through the air, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors along with Batty and Bywater.
Is College Football 25 worth the buzz?
One final word: College Football 25 is great. It lives up to 11 years of expectations.
Everything is great and if you haven't ordered yet I recommend you do so as soon as possible.
