And those same questions have gone into overdrive since he was named BYU’s starter last Tuesday.

How does he look?

How is he going to look and how good is he?

Is his name really Bear?

I honestly wish I had a better answer for all the inquiries, but the fact remains that I’ve seen him very briefly during several of BYU’s open practices.

I’ve seen the young freshman complete beautiful passes, belying his experience while demonstrating his great promise. The one that stands out was a 20-25 yard completion to Cougar tight end Carsen Ryan on a seam route against very tight coverage which caused the collective media gathered to raise their eyebrows a bit.

I’ve also seen him throw interceptions. I’ve seen him hold the ball too long while taking more than the requisite time to identify coverages. I’ve seen him late on throws and basically most everything else you can associate with a young quarterback going through his first collegiate fall practice session.

But he’s done enough, apparently, and the steady improvements he’s shown coaches, mostly out-of-view from the general media, should have Cougar fans excited.

Although my personnel assessment of Bachmeier is necessarily lacking, someone who’s isn’t is George Wilson, who coached the 6-foot-2, 220 pound dual-threat quarterback at Murrieta Valley. Wilson recently appeared as a guest on the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle radio program on ESPNthefan, providing several insights on what type of player and person Bachmeier is along with what Cougar fans can expect from him this season.

“He’ll be unusually poised for a freshman,” Wilson said. “He grew up watching his brother (Hank Bachmeier) go through it, spending time at college practices and games from junior high on. By the time it was his turn to perform in front of coaches or at camps, it was all business as usual. He’s been on the sidelines for a lot of big games already, and that experience will serve him well.”

Hank Bachmeier played for four years at Boise State and had a standout junior season in 2021 when he threw for 3,079 yards and 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions. The eldest Bachmeier brother ended up transferring to Wake Forest for his final season and threw for 2,593 yards and 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 2024 for the Demon Deacons.

Hank has similar size as Bear, and held a similar recruiting evaluation after playing for Murrieta Valley, although Bear’s offer list was clearly more impressive.

“Early on, when coaches came to practice, they’d see his physique and then watch the ball explode out of his hand,” Wilson said. “That got their attention right away. Later, his high school film was unbelievable, which made him an easy offer for just about everyone.”

And the offers piled up following Bear’s junior season, which saw him throw for 2,613 yards and 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions while adding another 631 yards and seven touchdowns rushing. Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and Michigan were just some of the top programs that extended scholarship offers.

Bear’s senior season was cut short due to injury, which didn’t cause those same programs to back off with their recruitment, evidenced by Georgia’s late offer extended in November of 2024. Bear ultimately decided to join his brother, Tiger Bachmeier, in signing with Stanford before opting to transfer to BYU, along with Tiger, following the Cardinal’s 2025 spring practice session.

Overall Wilson expressed nothing but the highest regard for Bear and his brothers.

“They’re a fantastic family,” he said. “His oldest brother, Hank, started at Boise State as a true freshman and beat Florida State in his first game. Then you’ve got Tiger, who’s now at BYU, another freakish athlete. I coached them all, and it was something special to see them play together when Hank was a senior and Tiger was a sophomore.”

As for Bear personally, Wilson describes a popular teammate who took to his leadership role as the team’s starting quarterback in stride.

“He’s very likable. His teammates loved being around him,” Wilson described. “He wasn’t a big talker–he led by example. He was confident, highly respected, and off the field. He’s just a really quality human being.”

Bear will in little doubt see his share of struggles in his first year starting at quarterback for BYU against what appears to be a formidable schedule. Hank certainly encountered his bumps and bruises during his initial season with the Broncos, throwing for 1,879 yards and nine touchdowns against six interceptions over his eight games as starting quarterback.

How Bear will measure up will be revealed shortly, although most signs point toward initial success and a bright future in store.