Former BYU QB Nick Billoups is Headed to UCLA

Casey Lundquist | Jun 6, 2024

Oct 21, 2023; Provo, Utah, USA; The Brigham Young Cougars students display TIFOs before kickoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Former BYU walk-on quarterback Nick Billoups is headed to UCLA to be coached up by new Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster, according to his Twitter timeline. Billoups entered the NCAA Transfer Portal during the Spring transfer window after spending three years in the program at BYU. This will be the second transfer of his collegiate career - Billoups originally transferred to BYU from Utah.

I always enjoy working with @_nickbilloups and hope he kills it at UCLA. pic.twitter.com/S7t0YF3YCw

— Mckay Smith (@MckaySmith2006) June 5, 2024

Billoups graduated from BYU before leaving the university. He was part of a very crowded quarterback room at BYU - he was one of 10 quarterbacks on the roster during Spring camp and he was buried on the depth chart. In his three years at BYU, Billoups did not appear in any games.

Billoups is a gifted athlete. If he is willing to try out new positions, he is athletic enough that he could find a role for himself beginning on special teams. In his practice highlights, you can see his athleticism on display.

The news of Billoups' transfer was not surprising to those that have been following the program. It was expected that a few quarterbacks would transfer out of the program and Billoups was just the first quarterback to transfer out. Ryder Burton was the lone scholarship quarterback that transferred out of the program during the Spring. Burton ended up at West Virginia.

Coming out of Spring camp, the race for BYU's starting quarterback spot was between Jake Retzlaff and Gerry Bohanon. Then the Cougars added Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead. Coming off a successful true frreshman season in Logan, Hillstead could turn the quarterack derby in Fall camp into a three-man race.