It didn’t take terribly long for BYU football to find a reliable starting quarterback in Bear Bachmeier, and all signs are pointing up for the returning sophomore as spring camp gets underway in Provo, Utah.
That’s the message from Bachmeier’s veteran center, Bruce Mitchell, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound redshirt senior, relayed to BYUtv Sports Nation earlier this week as the weather warmed up enough for outdoor practices.
Asked about Bachmeier’s first go at spring ball, Mitchell said BYU’s starting quarterback looks like his freshman self, who led the Cougars to a 12-2 finish and a 19th bowl victory, defeating Georgia Tech 25-21 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
“I think Bear feels a lot (more) comfortable,” Mitchell said. “I think you could probably say the same, as he hit like that flow state some time in midseason last year and you can see it’s carrying over to this year. Last fall camp or even early on in the season, you could hear (LJ Martin) kinda talking to him back there… but now we don’t have LJ, and I don’t think he needs any help back there. He’s seen it all.”
Bear Bachmeier and BYU’s Offense
Bachemier, the younger brother of Cougars senior wideout Tiger Bachmeier, finished his first season throwing for 3,033 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’ll have a mixture of familiar and new faces around – but not all of them will see action this spring.
All-Big 12 running back LJ Martin (shoulder surgery) is missing from spring practice, but Sione Moa, a redshirt sophomore, is back on the scene this spring after wondering if he’d ever play football again due to a compartment syndrome injury following a hard hit sustained during last year’s trip to East Carolina.
The quarterback room includes a redshirt senior in Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet, arriving at BYU in 2024. It also includes true freshman Enoch Watson of Queen Creek, Arizona, where he earned a three-star rating by 247.
It’s only Bachmeier’s second spring camp, and with it comes more eyeballs wandering the grounds and speculating on how close the young, California native can bring BYU to a league title or College Football Playoff berth in 2026.
