byu football

BYU closes spring drills with Bachmeier taking big step forward

BYU QB was impressive during spring workouts, earning much praise from his offensive coordinator

Published: April 6, 2026, 3:00 p.m. MDT

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier smiles during an interview with BYUtv during the BYU alumni game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, April 3, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Dick Harmon is a sports columnist for the Deseret News in his fourth decade reporting on college athletics.

Bear Bachmeier got a glimpse of what he’s stepped into on Friday.

It was BYU football alumni day, and he had a front-row seat once he took the better part of an hour to make it through the autograph seekers.

Once there, he found himself surrounded by four decades of former players, many of them school record holders, NCAA statistical leaders, all-conference performers and many with NFL experience.

He even met Norm Chow, who has coached eight of the top 14 career pass-efficiency leaders and 13 quarterbacks who rank among the top 30 in NCAA history for single-season passing yardage.

“I mean, he’s very sharp. Just our ability to give him two or three options every play and get us in the right play based on what the defense is doing is pretty fun.”
— BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Rodering on Bear Bachmeier

Earlier in the day, he heard his head coach, Kalani Sitake, play a voicemail from the late LaVell Edwards after Sitake got the coaching job. Saved on his device all these years since 2015, Sitake played it for the large group of former and current players gathered.

“You’re doing a great job, take care of the boys,” Edwards implored.

Earlier in the week, he heard from former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema on a visit from his missionary work in South Africa. Sikahema counseled players to remember their roots and how their lives can make a difference.

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This army of former players, many of whom suited up to play in a fun game of touch football in the stadium, did so before a live television audience seen everywhere from Hong Kong to Stockholm.

Bachmeier is new to all this BYU hullabaloo.

“I couldn’t get 15 yards (into the stadium) without fans coming up,” Bachmeier told BYUtv during the affair.

“It’s an awesome opportunity and a lot of fun. This is a testament of how wonderful BYU is with all these players coming back to play before the fans. I think you create bonds like no other, and this kind of culminates it all. This is the epitome of the culture here.”

NEW: BYU QB Bear Bachmeier looks MASSIVE…

As compared to ex-BYU QB Jake Retzlaff 😳 pic.twitter.com/boC8tb5RhT
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) March 21, 2026

A year ago, he was at Stanford’s spring practice some 656 miles from where Sitake and his offensive coordinator, Aaron Roderick, were preparing Jake Retzlaff to enter his senior season.

On May 4, 2025, just a few weeks later, Bachmeier announced he was transferring to BYU. This was about 17 days before a civil lawsuit was filed against Retzlaff, but was later dismissed. That legal quagmire ended Retzlaff’s BYU career in Provo and ushered in Bachmeier’s freshman season.

Now, with 12 wins, a Pop-Tarts Bowl trophy, Big 12 championship game, and 3,033 passing yards under his belt, the youngster just finished his first spring camp at BYU.

He memorized the playbook last summer. Today, he understands it.

On this Friday, he looked on as his first spring football camp in Provo concluded. He saw all these faces who simply had to return. They couldn’t get enough of that field, those colors, their bond.

Earlier in this final week, his coach explained what he expects this coming season out of Bachmeier as a returning sophomore.

Roderick said the threshold will be 30 touchdown passes, a completion rate of 70% and single-digit interceptions.

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This past season, Bachmeier completed 64.9% of his throws for 3,033 and 15 touchdowns. He had seven interceptions in 387 attempts. He ran for 11 more touchdowns for a total of 26. The freshman gained 537 yards rushing.

After a brief scrimmage this past week, Roderick did not hold back his enthusiasm for what Bachmeier has done in the spring after his freshman season.

“Bear, he’s brilliant. I mean, he’s as smart of a kid as I’ve ever known, period, in life,” said Roderick.

“I mean, he’s very sharp. Just our ability to give him two or three options every play and get us in the right play based on what the defense is doing is pretty fun.

“I guess sometimes it might be we hand the ball off and make three yards, and nobody in the stands thinks it was anything special, but he just got us out of a really bad play and we made 3 yards. Sometimes it’s just something like that.

“Sometimes it’s getting us into a play that’s a huge play, where he sees what the defense is doing, gets us to a different play, and we have an explosive play. So, it’s fun. He’s a fun guy to coach.”

So, what did he get himself into?

Well, a former quarterback, 53-year-old Torrance, California, native John Walsh made his first appearance on the field since 1994 to play in the alumni game.

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He brought his family, his kids, his grandkids.

And like the rest of the guys, he couldn’t help glancing up at the giant replay screens after some of his passes.

It was a look back in time.

And for Bear, a look into the future.