Can True Freshman Bear Bachmeier Push for the Starting Job at BYU?

Going into the offseason, the only question mark surrounding the BYU quarterback situation was the battle for the backup quarterback job. Jake Retzlaff was the undisputed starter going into his senior season in 2025.

Suddenly, the BYU quarterback situation is in flux after a civil lawsuit was filed against Retzlaff, alleging sexual assault back in November of 2023. As of this writing, it's unknown whether Retzlaff will play football for BYU in 2025 or not.

If Jake Retzlaff is unavailable, true freshman and former four-star recruit Bear Bachmeier would be the wildcard in the battle for the starting quarterback spot. Even if you include Retzlaff, there is an argument to make that Bachmeier is the most talented quarterback on the roster.

According to reports coming out of Stanford Spring camp, Bachmeier was splitting first-team reps and competing for the starting job. If he finds himself in the battle for the starting job at BYU, Bachmeier will be at a disadvantage. He would battle against two quarterbacks in McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet that have been at BYU for more than a year. Additionally, both Hillstead and Bourguet have started games at the FBS level.

It would be inexperience, not lack of talent, that would limit Bachmeier's chances to start for BYU against Portland State.

Still, there is a path to starting as a true freshman for Bear Bachmeier if Jake Retzlaff is unable to play. Bachmeier is all of 6'2 and 225 pounds. He moves incredibly well for his size and his playmaking ability makes his ceiling very high. Bachmeier can make plays with his legs, extend plays and throw on the run, or sit back in the pocket and deliver the football. There's a reason why so many big-name programs wanted to bring in Bachmeier.

For a true freshman at quarterback, turnovers are usually what keep them off the field. Bachmeier protected the football throughout his high school career. His career TD/INT ratio (including rushing touchdowns) was 92/14. 33 of his 92 touchdowns came on the ground. He never threw more than 8 interceptions in a single season.

SOPHOMORE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS!!!

350 Total Yds / Game
2,853 Pass Yds
26 Pass Tds
73% Comp
644 Rush Yds
18 Tds
And Happy Thanksgiving!!! 🦃 https://t.co/rTfV4pIKd8
— Bear Bachmeier (@bearb47) November 25, 2022

The next step would be to learn the playbook. That's the biggest question mark - Bachmeier will only have the weeks leading up to camp to digest as much of the playbook as possible. Bachmeier will have the opportunity to study the playbook with his older brother who is transferring in from Stanford and looking to make an immediate impact at WR.

If Bachmeier can grasp the playbook enough, his talent is enough to get him on the field right away. He is a gifted playmaker off-script, so there would be upside to playing him even if the entire playbook wasn't at his disposal. Additionally, we expect him to be the best running quarterback as soon as he steps on campus. He ran for over 1,700 yards and averaged 10.6 yards per carry in high school. Perhaps BYU could lean on the run game for the first 4-5 games while Bachmeier gets up to speed.

Regardless, Bachmeier is facing an uphill battle to start at quarterback right away. It seems more likely that either McCae HIllstead or Treyson Bourguet would get the starting nod before Bachmeier given their time in the system. There's potentially a scenario where BYU could turn to either Hillstead or Bourguet before turning to Bachmeier later in the season, kind of like they did with Zach Wilson as a true freshman. Still, there is a path to Bachmeier starting right away. He will need to be good right out of the gates in Fall camp. First-team reps are incredibly value by the time Fall camp rolls around. He will only be given first-team reps if the staff thinks he has a chance to win the job. If he is, he will get more and more opportunities to prove that he's ready.

This coaching staff has proven that they are willing to live with some mistakes if a quarterback can offer other upsides to the offense. Take Jake Retzlaff as an example. Retzlaff made some terrible decisions, especially early on. However, he brought enough upside to the offense that BYU gave him the keys to the offense.