Newly minted starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier formally introduced himself to BYU football fans via Zoom on Monday in the Cougars’ weekly press briefing, saying he is a “pretty outgoing guy” who likes to play the guitar and have fun with his teammates by going fishing, playing board games, video games and pingpong.
His go-to song on the guitar?
That would be “Wagon Wheel,” the tune written by Bob Dylan and made famous by Darius Rucker.
Little does the newcomer who turned 19 last December know, but that song carries a lot of significance in Provo and Logan, but there will be time for that history lesson later. Right now, Bachmeier is getting ready for the biggest game of his young life to date, Saturday’s season opener against FCS Portland State at LaVell Edwards Stadium (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).
Speaking publicly for the first time since he was announced as BYU’s QB1 for the opener last Tuesday by offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, Bachmeier described what it was like to hear the news.
“It was thrilling. It was a great moment. It’s an incredible honor to represent such a profound university and obviously be on the football team,” he said. “It’s an incredible honor.”
Bachmeier said he called his father, Michael, after getting the news, and eventually talked to his brother on the team, graduate transfer receiver Tiger Bachmeier, and his oldest brother, former Boise State, Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier.
Don’t look now, but Hank Bachmeier threw for 407 yards and a touchdown in a 36-31 win over Florida State in his first game as a collegian.
“He has played college football for six years, and he’s got a lot of experience, so I am just being a sponge with him,” Bear said. “I am very fortunate to have him (around). He’s helped out immensely. The support of my family is second to none. I love them so much and am just trying to make them proud.”
“The expectation is to win a championship. I think the individual expectation is we want to complete the ball. We want to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands. We want to go score touchdowns. But the end goal is to win a championship.”
— BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier
Can Bear repeat Hank’s exploits except against a far inferior opponent? Perhaps, but the new QB1 said the expectations as laid out by Roderick and head coach Kalani Sitake are loftier.
“The expectation (for the team) is to win a championship,” Bear said. “I think the individual expectation is we want to complete the ball. We want to put the ball in our playmakers’ hands. We want to go score touchdowns. But the end goal is to win a championship.”
Bear said his confidence level that he could land the starting job was “pretty high” since he arrived in Provo in late May, and remained that way through preseason training camp.
He credited the support from quarterbacks coach Matt Mitchell, Roderick and the other quarterbacks competing for the starting job — McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet and fellow freshman Emerson Geilman — for helping him get ready. He singled out Mitchell as a coach who helped him learn the playbook quickly.
“He taught me that whole playbook in a month, two months, and then I had extra hours to kind of memorize and regurgitate the information,” Bear said. “I (attribute) the quick learning process to coach Mitchell. He helped out immensely.”
Bear said it was a “surreal moment” when coaches told him the starting job was his, and said the support he has received from teammates, fellow quarterbacks and especially the team leaders has been exceptional.
“We got a great team and I think we are going to go really far,” he said. “… I think the biggest way to build camaraderie, and that brotherhood, is not football-related. It comes down to doing hobbies and just being kids and just having fun together with your buddies.”
Teammates knew quickly that Bear Bachmeier was ready
Obviously, one of those buddies is Tiger, who graduated from Stanford in computer science in 2.5 years and is basically a genius.
“Tiger is a different dude. I mean, he can fly airplanes. He speaks Chinese, and the list goes on and on. I like to say I beat him in chess every once in a while, so that’s pretty cool,” Bear said. “I like playing the guitar. I like singing and going outdoors and doing whatever … outside.”
For senior receiver Chase Roberts, Bear’s promotion means he will have had a different starting QB in all four of his seasons at BYU, joining Jaren Hall in 2022, Kedon Slovis in 2023 and Jake Retzlaff in 2024.
“Bear has gotten the playbook down so quickly, and he’s a stud. He’s been making a lot of plays. There’s a reason why we named him the starting quarterback this year. He’s got that fire. He’s got that energy,” Roberts said. “When we get in the huddle and go against the defense, he’s the one to get the energy going, to pump us up. So we love Bear. We’re excited for him. You will be able to see his play-making ability (Saturday).”
Roberts said Bear already has the body of a linebacker, so he endorses the QB’s decision to wear No. 47 because “it shows his personality, and who he is, and fits him perfectly.”
Roberts was primed to have an outstanding season with Retzlaff at the helm, and he believes Bachmeier can also deliver the ball on time and accurately.
“His mentality that he’s had all camp, he doesn’t act like a freshman quarterback,” Roberts said. “… Both the Bachmeier kids are characters. They’re just themselves. They don’t care about what other people think of them, and they’re definitely fun to be around.”
Another team leader, linebacker Jack Kelly, said Bear has been “really challenging” to play against this month in camp.
“We know our coaches are going to make the right decisions and (select) who’s performing the best at this moment,” Kelly said. “We all love him. He’s a great guy, a great leader for this offense, and he had a really amazing camp, so we’re all rallying behind him. … He makes great reads and throws a good ball. He’s a dual threat, so he can run when the pocket collapses and things like that. It was good for us to learn from that, and it was good for him to be able to do those things against our defense as well.”
