When ESPN decided to take a magnifying glass to every power conference program's quarterback battle, some of the most prestigious teams in the nation faced a massive question mark for their respective future signal callers. But in quarterback Bear Bachmeier, the BYU Cougars have something that teams like Alabama, Indiana, Miami, Florida State, Cincinnati, and others don't: consistency and proven production for their program.
Bachmeier, approaching his sophomore campaign in 2026, is coming off an impressive freshman stretch. Especially when you consider how he entered Aaron Roderick's offensive system in the first place.
Joining the team in the spring after the Stanford sinking ship called for a coaching change. As the portal opened up, Bear and his brother, a wide receiver named Tiger, opted to head east from Palo Alto and nestle at the footprint of the Wasatch Mountain Range in Provo, Utah.
Bear quickly gained his coaches' confidence, learned the offense, and led the Cougars to their second-straight 11+ win season in the Big 12 Conference, finishing ranked 11th in the final AP Poll, and stamping the Cougars' place on the map -- all while earning Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP honors.
Not bad for a true freshman.
With Ryder Lyons, a five-star recruit at the quarterback position, officially sent off for his missionary service, Bachmeier's spot at the helm is essentially locked up.
"Bachmeier emerged as BYU's top quarterback and led the team to 12 wins and a Big 12 runner-up finish. He was an effective dual threat, finishing with 3,033 passing yards and 527 rushing yards, while accounting for 26 touchdowns (15 pass, 11 rush). Bachmeier completed 64.9% of his passes and became just the second BYU true freshman (Tanner Mangum) to eclipse 3,000 passing yards. After earning Pop-Tarts Bowl MVP honors, Bachmeier is poised to continue growing under coach Kalani Sitake and coordinator Aaron Roderick. Although his accuracy fluctuated a bit, Bachmeier had six games with at least 69.7% completions."
Their article went on to highlight backup Treyson Bourguet, who announced he'd be returning for another season at BYU, and will retain his understudy role under Bachmeier.
He doesn't seem to mind his role on the depth chart.
Loyal to the Royal! 💙 The one y’all been waiting for 😅 pic.twitter.com/BEnS3fMwXA
— Treyson Bourguet (@treysonbourguet) January 14, 2026
But for a football team whose position in early rankings was stunted thanks to the premature departure of their starting quarterback just one year prior, returning production and proven commodities like Bachmeier will be crucial in ensuring a stable foothold in the first weeks of the 2026 season.
With all eyes on the College Football Playoff, returning Bachmeier for his sophomore season is a major step in the right direction.