BYU football: Treyson Bourguet makes his case for BYU's backup quarterback spot

PROVO — BYU football's quarterback room has cleared out quite a bit since Treyson Bourguet first arrived in Provo, and a lot of that is due to his strong performance over the past year.

It's the type of performance that has not only benefited Bourget but the entire team in general, considering his attitude and work ethic.

The Cougars are carrying just three quarterbacks on the roster this spring, allotting Bourguet a bevy of reps — reps that he's definitely earned since arriving to the program as a walk-on in spring of 2024.

He came to BYU after playing for Western Michigan for two seasons; and despite fielding scholarship offers from other programs, he opted to walk on and play in offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick's system for several reasons.

"BYU always jumped off the radar for me because of the people," Bourguet noted. "(It's) just a community and the whole faith aspect of it. I'm very, very much into the religious aspect with my faith and close to home. That's big, too."

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior is originally from Tucson, Arizona, and was recruited to BYU out of high school before opting to sign and play for Western Michigan, partly because the Cougars quarterback room was too crowded at the time.

Ironically enough, that same room swelled to even more players when he opted to transfer and take a walk-on slot in Provo, with 10 total quarterbacks on the roster for the 2024 season.

For most, it would seem counterproductive, but Bourguet had his mind set and proceeded to tell all of his friends as much.

"I don't know if it's going to happen, but I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to BYU," Bourguet recalled saying. "They (asked), 'Why? You're not even a member of the church. You're not even from Utah.' But … there was something telling me to go back to BYU. So when (Roderick) reached out to me, I did whatever it took to make it happen."

Making it happen

Forced to split reps between 10 quarterbacks last spring, play was sparse for the Western Michigan transfer from the start. Additionally, a healthy starting quarterback competition between Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon compounded the issue.

But all of that was anticipated, and Bourguet aimed to make the most of whatever opportunity came his way.

"So I was sort of facing the same dilemma. I was the new guy going into a huge quarterback room," Bourguet said. "But my (thought process was), I'm going to take the bull by the horns and compete my butt off and do whatever it takes.'"

Since opportunities to prove himself in practice were slim, Bourguet aimed to show his worth elsewhere.

"I was working to get to know the playbook better than they were expecting," Bourguet said. "So whenever I got to the board (in meetings) I could show that I knew what I was talking about. I knew what I was doing."

Through it all, Bourguet did enough to improve his status and achieve a more defined status on the team's roster moving forward.

"I ended up having a really good spring (practice), in my opinion," Bourguet said. "Coaches saw that as well and they put me on scholarship, which is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me because it's something that I put my mind to."

Keep grinding

Bourguet's work didn't end with spring; and despite being relegated to the No. 3 or even No. 4 spot on the depth chart, he didn't let up and employed a beneficial work ethic for the team. A lot of that work was employed in helping prepare the defense for the next week's opponent during practice sessions.

"You're just doing whatever you can to help the team win," Bourguet said. "If I could emulate the opposing team's quarterback — heck yeah, I'll go to scout team and emulate that quarterback to the best of my abilities for our defense."

Eventually, many of the faces that populated BYU's quarterback room left, leaving just Bourguet, McCae Hillstead and Jake Retzlaff to begin the 2025 spring practice session.

It's a session where Bourguet is seeing a lot of quality reps as he works to compete for the backup spot behind Retzlaff. As such, he's able to showcase a lot of his ability, which includes the ability to lead effectively — an ability any successful signal-caller must carry.

"That leadership aspect and keeping everyone's head level — never too high or too low. ... And I'm just a competitor," Bourguet said. "I want to win and I'll do whatever it takes to win."

He's also shown the ability to throw a quality deep ball, and is working to improve his intermediate and short-passing game, as well.

"I do think that I'm a threat with the deep ball," Bourguet said. "I really like to get intermediate throws in there, as well, but I like making people right on the football field, whether it be a wrong route or a protection issue. … Whatever it is that I can make our team right, that's what I want to do."

Also benefiting Bourguet is that he's in his second year in the same offensive system — something he hasn't been treated to for quite a while.

"Going back to high school, I've always had a new system," Bourguet said. "So being in my second year under (Roderick) is awesome. It's a lot of fun. It helps a lot."

Off the field, he's enjoying BYU's social and academic environment and is on track to graduate with a degree in business.

While Bourguet's battle with Hillstead is shaping out to be a competitive one, there's no doubt his presence in the quarterback room has and will continue to benefit the team's overall play. By even deciding to come to BYU in the first place, Bourguet has displayed a humble attitude and the willingness to work for everything that's given him.

Related topics