BYU football has quite a quarterback taking snaps with their first stringers. Bear Bachmeier, a true freshman with the coolest name of any signal-caller in the nation (and you can argue with a wall on that point), has been receiving praise and accolades stretching well beyond that of his own fanbase. He's a full-blown national phenomenon.
At first, the main talking point on the young gunslinger was all superficial -- and mostly self-imposed. 47 looks very awkward for a player throwing the football. The world just isn't accustomed to it is all. But no press is bad press, and his excellent play on the field has elevated him from a potential headache for viewers to an undeniable migraine for opposing defenses.
Week after week, this 19-year-old quarterback has led his BYU team to wins by managing the game, controlling any variables, and keeping the ball moving down the field. For his efforts, he's received unanimous praise from being compared to Tim Tebow (maybe pump the brakes on that one) to being named the Big 12 freshman of the week in three of his five active weeks.
For someone new to this level of competition, it's hard to deny he's filled the QB1 spot for a competitive BYU team about as well as anyone could have hoped.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier is once again the Big 12 Freshman of the Week.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 6, 2025
He's earned the honor three times this season. pic.twitter.com/AT4LxIojCk
Through five games, Bachmeier has handled pressure on the road, and elecritified a home LaVell Edwards Stadium crowd. He's tormented secondaries, and emulated a bowling ball rolling through the helpless pins of the front seven.
Tossing seven touchdown heaves, gathering over 1,000 yards through the air, and only throwing one interception (which was more of a play-calling error than a decision-making error on his end), it's not just his jersey number that's made him stand out in early returns -- he's absolutely popping on the stat sheet.
With that said, he's still got room for improvement. While he showed signs of improvement against West Virginia, his long throws of 20+ yards through the air haven't always connected. Whether that's an issue of chemistry, or a matter of inexperience or inaccuracy, Bear's been the image of maturity and poise throwing the football against a Big 12 schedule.
Most importantly, for a team coming off an 11-win season, it's necessary to point out that Bear hasn't lost a football game at all as a BYU football player. Even on the road at East Carolina or Colorado, Bachmeier is a steadying presence for his teammates and a capable leader for an experienced team.
He just doesn't play quarterback like a freshman, I don't know how else I could say it. Calm in the pocket, he's not one to roll out and get happy feet at the first sign of pressure. Likewise, he hasn't made poor decisions when it comes to 2nd or 3rd-and-long situations. Simply put: Bear Bachmeier is no ordinary freshman, and he's keeping BYU football on schedule.