The Hive Sports

by Jordan D. Karpowitz

After a long wait, the question of who will be BYU’s starting quarterback has finally been answered — and it brings a new set of questions and concerns.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick confirmed that true freshman Bear Bachmeier will start against Portland State on Aug. 30. Bachmeier beat out veterans McCae Hillstead and Trenton Bourguet for the job. It marks the first time in program history that a true freshman will start a season opener.

It’s no surprise to some that Bachmeier, an athletic and intelligent talent, drew heavy recruiting interest from national powers such as Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and Utah. He ultimately chose Stanford but transferred after coaching changes, leading him to Coach Sitake and BYU.

The question, however, is how Bachmeier will perform. History shows that starting a true freshman rarely leads to overwhelming success, with the exception of Trevor Lawrence in 2018, when he led Clemson to a national championship. The odds are against Bachmeier winning a title at BYU, but with proper development — maturity, coaching and situational growth — he could lead the Cougars to a promising season.

Bachmeier enters one of the best situations a freshman quarterback could ask for, as BYU’s first six games appear winnable and should help ease him into the role while gaining valuable experience.

The Cougars open against Portland State, giving Bachmeier a chance to settle into the offense. The following week brings a matchup against his former team, Stanford, which is in a rebuilding year — a timely opportunity for Bachmeier to test himself against a Power Four opponent.

BYU then travels to East Carolina, a notoriously difficult place to play, where Bachmeier will face his first road test against a competitive Group of Five team. After that comes the Big 12 opener at Colorado, which, at least for now, does not project as one of the conference’s top teams.

The schedule continues with West Virginia, another program in a similar position to Colorado, then a trip to Tucson to face Arizona. After that, Bachmeier and the Cougars face their toughest competition as BYU begins the second half of its season against Utah, at Texas Tech, at Iowa State, TCU, at Cincinnati and a home finale against UCF. By the time they reach the Utah game, the hope is that Bachmeier will be confident and in sync with the offense.

With that schedule, BYU could finish 10–2, losing to Texas Tech and Iowa State. A 9–3 record is also possible with a loss to Utah or TCU.