One of the most talked-about names during BYU football’s fall camp has understandably been Bear Bachmeier, the true freshman quarterback who’s been in competition to take over as the Cougars’ starting signal caller.
Turns out, he will be the starter — BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick made it official Tuesday, not long after ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news, that Bachmeier will start in the Cougars’ 2025 opener against Portland State on Aug. 30.
While there have been seven true freshmen quarterbacks who have started a game at BYU, none has ever been the starter in the season opener, and Bachmeier’s inclusion in the QB battle alongside McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet has been the hot topic of conversation since the Cougars started camp in late July.
Bachmeier’s impact in the football world started well before that, though — coming out of high school in California, he was a composite four-star rated quarterback who is a part of an athletic family and had already turned heads in his prep days.
That helped him land at Stanford, where he participated in spring ball this offseason before transferring to BYU after a Cardinal coaching change.
What can Cougar fans learn about the young signal caller from his high school days?
What did Bear Bachmeier accomplish in high school?
Bachmeier was a three-year starter at Murrieta Valley High in California. He played just six games last season after missing the first eight due to a knee injury.
Bachmeier accounted for 92 touchdowns — 59 passing and 33 rushing — against 20 turnovers over his time as the Nighthawks’ quarterback, according to MaxPreps.
He had scholarship offers from nearly two dozen schools, according to 247 Sports, and was rated a four-star prospect in the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Other Power Conference schools that offered him included Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon, as well as other Big 12 programs in Utah, Colorado and Kansas.
“Bachmeier is an exciting dual-threat quarterback who can beat a defense with his arm or his legs. At 6-2, 225 pounds, he’s built like a tank and can take off and run for big yards and does a nice job escaping initial pressure and extending plays. He can also beat you from the pocket and is a very competent thrower,” 247 Sports’ Greg Biggins wrote following his junior year in assessing Bachmeier.
Bachmeier went 20-9 as a starter for the Nighthawks, including 9-4 during his junior season.
Murrieta Valley made the playoffs each of the three seasons he was the team’s starter. The Nighthawks lost in the first round during his sophomore season, reached the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinals as a junior, then lost a tight game in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship last year.
Bear Bachmeier’s high school statistics
- 2021 (freshman season) — 1 game, 84 passing yards, 85.7% completion percentage; 1 carry, 10 rushing yards
- 2022 (sophomore season) — 10 games, 2,853 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 72.5% completion percentage; 47 carries, 644 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns
- 2023 (junior season) — 13 games, 2,613 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 65.5% completion percentage; 75 carries, 631 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns
- 2024 (senior season) — 6 games, 1,260 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 64.2% completion percentage; 40 carries, 439 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns
- High school totals — 30 games, 6,810 passing yards, 59 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 68.2% completion percentage; 163 carries, 1,724 rushing yards, 33 rushing touchdowns
Bear Bachmeier’s top 3 statistical games in high school
A few high-scoring games stand out from Bachmeier’s high school career.
Senior year: 55-52 W in overtime over Oaks Christian in playoff semifinals, Nov. 22, 2024
In his second-to-last high school game, Bachmeier led the Nighthawks to a thrilling overtime playoff win. Murrieta Valley trailed by 14 points in the third quarter and he led three touchdown drives in the fourth quarter — including one with under two minutes to play — to force the extra session.
Bachmeier completed 17 of 22 passes for 238 passing yards and had nine carries for 98 yards while accounting for six touchdowns — three passing and three rushing, per MaxPreps.
None was bigger than the game-winner. After Oaks Christian kicked a field goal to start overtime, Murrieta Valley got the ball with a chance to tie or win the game.
One play after a penalty brought back what first appeared to be the game-winning touchdown, Bachmeier closed out the victory by bullying his way up the middle on a QB keeper for a 12-yard touchdown run.
Junior year: 48-24 W over King, Sept. 14, 2023
Bachmeier had his most efficient passing day in the 24-point victory over King High.
He completed 19 of 23 passes for 228 yards and a career-best five touchdowns in the win, according to MaxPreps. The 82.6% completion percentage was also a career high.
Bachmeier, who finished the game with a 151.8 QB rating, threw his fourth touchdown of the game in the final seconds of the first half to give Murrieta Valley a 35-10 halftime lead.
He also ran the ball once for 25 yards.
Sophomore year: 77-76 L in overtime to Norco, Oct. 7, 2022
Bachmeier and the Nighthawks came out on the losing end of an offensive showcase in a game where he accounted for more than 600 yards of total offense.
Bachmeier completed 26 of 32 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns, according to MaxPreps, while also rushing for a career-best 204 yards and five touchdowns on nine carries. That averaged out to 22.7 yards per carry.
Murrieta Valley took a 21-7 lead through one quarter, but two fumbles, including one from Bachmeier, helped Norco rally past the Nighthawks.
The connection Bear Bachmeier has shown with his brother Tiger Bachmeier
Bachmeier played two seasons in high school with older brother Tiger Bachmeier, including the 2022 season when Bear was Murrieta Valley’s starting quarterback.
Now the two brothers are together again, as Tiger also transferred to BYU post-spring. He had 46 receptions for 476 yards and two touchdowns in two years at Stanford while also earning playing time as a returner.
During the 2022 season, the Bachmeier brothers showcased a strong quarterback-receiver connection.
That season, Tiger led Murrieta Valley by catching 97 passes for 1,525 yards and 15 touchdowns from his brother Bear during his first season as the starting quarterback, according to MaxPreps.
Tiger had eight 100-yard receiving games, including three over 200 yards and had five games where he finished with double-digit receptions.
Tiger ended up with four multi-touchdown games, including two where he caught three touchdowns. Tiger caught 15 of the 26 touchdown passes Bear threw that season.
Can older brother Tiger provide that sort of strong connection for Bear at BYU?
