BYU Coaches Include Freshman Bear Bachmeier in QB Race

PROVO, Utah — The Brigham Young University football coaches have officially included Bear Bachmeier in a two-man competition for the starting quarterback position. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has emphasized that the first-year freshman will have every opportunity to compete against veteran players McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet.

Since training camp began two weeks ago, Roderick has praised Bachmeier for his quick grasp of the team’s offense, showcasing the player’s intelligence after joining the program less than three months ago. As training progresses, Hillstead will continue to mix in with the first-team offense as well.

While Coach Kalani Sitake and Roderick have not named a starter for the season opener on Aug. 30 against Portland State, it appears that Bachmeier is the leading contender. Roderick noted after Tuesday’s practice, “He throws a lot of completions. That’s one thing; he doesn’t take sacks and he’s very accurate.”

The initial plan for Bachmeier, who committed to BYU after graduating high school early, was to learn the offensive system behind incumbent starter Jake Retzlaff and take over in 2026. However, those plans changed dramatically when Retzlaff faced honor code issues, leading to his departure from the program.

Following the lawsuit against Retzlaff that became public in late May, the BYU coaching staff quickly adjusted to the possibility of starting an inexperienced quarterback. Both Hillstead and Bourguet, who transferred from lower FBS programs, lack game experience with BYU, even though they started games for Utah State and Western Michigan respectively. Bachmeier’s experience comes from three years at Murrieta Valley High School in California.

“Roderick knows where he is going with everything,” Sitake said. “The key is, we settled it on the field. I don’t control it; it’s the players. If you want to win the spot, it’s there for the taking.”

Last season, Bachmeier missed the first eight games due to a knee injury but returned to lead his high school team to the Division 2 title game. Rated as a four-star quarterback, he received offers from prominent programs, including Alabama, Michigan, and Notre Dame. He initially committed to Stanford to play under coach Troy Taylor, but after Taylor’s dismissal, Bachmeier entered the transfer portal and chose BYU, partly because of his relationships with the coaching staff.

His brother, Tiger Bachmeier, who also transferred to BYU, stated, “It’s not like we were a package deal, but it worked out that way.” The Bachmeier brothers come from a football family; their older brother Hank played quarterback at Boise State and transferred to Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest. Their youngest brother, Buck, is currently a high school freshman.

Tiger Bachmeier expressed confidence in the coaching staff’s ability to select the best quarterback, regardless of age or experience. “I don’t really think age or anything matters,” he said. “The coaches have said that they’re just going to play the best guy and leave it up to them.”