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Bear Bachmeier

BYU Photo

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BYU's AJ Dybantsa (7) takes a shot against Canada in the quarterfinals at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday, July 4, 2025.

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Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Brandon C. Gurney use their sports expertise to riff on the hot BYU sports topics of the moment.

1. So freshman Bear Bachmeier has won the starting quarterback job at BYU. Thoughts?

DICKSON: First of all, I want to apologize for the Bear pun in the headline. I just thought we’d get as many of them out of the way as soon as possible. I wouldn’t have predicted that Bachmeier was going to win the job but here we are. I have been banging the drum that if Bachmeier did become the starter it was not by a little but by a lot. In a close race, I still think coaches would have leaned toward the experienced guys. Instead, BYU has its first-ever freshman to start the season at quarterback. A lot has been made about how the schedule (home games against Portland State and Stanford, a road contest at East Carolina) sets up nicely to prep a freshman quarterback for Big 12 play. But I would add that there is a bye week between Stanford and East Carolina, perfect for self-evaluation not only for Bachmeier but for the coaching staff, specifically offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. Bottom line, the Cougars are putting out the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win and right now, that’s the Bear.

GURNEY: Everything has to be qualified during offseason preparations. Is Bear Bachmeier just that good to overcome history and the prospect of beating out two more senior players, both of whom have collegiate experience and have spent more than a year within BYU’s system? Or is it more of a commentary that the quarterbacks inhouse just weren’t capable enough to hold a young freshman at bay, regardless of how talented Bachmeier is? It’s probably a little bit of both, but I’ll trend toward the former conclusion simply due to Bachmeier’s accolades and impressive offer list coming out of high school. I think Bear has tremendous potential and it’s apparent that he’s begun the process of reaching that potential sooner rather than later.

2. How much does Bachmeier earning the starting role impact your season prediction for BYU?

GURNEY: I think it costs BYU a game, and probably a game early on in the season as he acclimates to playing quarterback at the collegiate level. I think the Stanford game now appears more daunting than previously thought and I’ve long felt traveling to East Carolina provides more of a challenge than most BYU fans are considering. No, I’m not predicting losses in either of those games, but I do feel the prospect of a new quarterback undergoing at least some type of adjustments will lead to at least one more loss on the season than I had in mind previously.

DICKSON: After spring ball I thought another 11-win season was probable along with a shot at the Big 12 Championship Game and a berth in the College Football Playoffs. Then Retzlaff transferred and I settled on an eight or nine-win season. I think I’m still there even with a freshman starting at quarterback. That may be overly optimistic, especially in a very unpredictable Big 12. You just have to be rock-s0lid against everyone or you might taste defeat. So I’m sticking with 8-4 or 9-3 from the Cougars in 2025.

3. Now that BYU has switched from fall camp to game prep, what do you see as this team’s biggest strength and its biggest weakness?

DICKSON: The Cougars’ biggest strength is its coaching staff, from head coach Kalani Sitake and his coordinators on down. There wasn’t any turnover in the coaching staff and that’s a very good thing. Hill’s defense is going to need to set the tone early as BYU’s freshman quarterback and offense find a groove. Hill doesn’t have the same pieces he had last season but I think he’s a master at taking what he has an adjusting it to take advantage of his system. As far as a weakness, I am still not sold on the defensive line. Beyond Keanu Tanuvasa and Logan Latui, I just don’t have a good read on how impactful this group will be. Surely, lots of potential, but not enough body of work to be certain.

GURNEY: The biggest strength is the linebacking group. Sure, everyone knows about Isaiah Glasker and Jack Kelly, and the return of both players may itself be enough to assign top-billing. But other linebackers have really stepped up during the fall practice session, including Choe Bryant-Strother, Ace Kaufusi, and Max Alford, among several others.

The biggest weakness is without question the lack of depth at running back. I’d like to believe that both LJ Martin and Sione Moa will both remain relatively healthy throughout the season, but it’s a shaky prospect, given both players’ injury history, let alone what is the normal course for the running back position. I have to believe BYU is going to experience at least some attrition at the position and there’s not a lot of proven talent behind both Martin and Moa.

4. Which BYU football player has had a sneaky good fall camp that might have slipped under the radar?

GURNEY: On defense my guy is Ace Kaufusi. I mean, considering his last name it’s somewhat easy to apply exciting potential, but Ace has proven his abilities during most open practice sessions. He’s been active in making standout plays and his versatility will likely earn him plenty of reps at both outside and inside backer.

On offense I’m going with Cody Hagen. He’s a 4-star prospect from Corner Canyon that just makes play after play with his exciting size and speed combination. He runs fantastic routes, he’s quick out of his breaks and really doesn’t lack much with regards to becoming a top receiving option. Hagen is going to be in the receiver rotation and is due to have a lot of passes thrown his way this season.

DICKSON: Aaron Roderick mentioned tight end Keayen Nead, a transfer from New Mexico, as having a great camp. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he fits the mold of an in-line tight end who will be absolutely key in the running game. We’ve also heard that Carsen Ryan can do it all but when the Cougars need to go to 12 or 13 personnel, count on seeing Nead out there doing some road grating. I also like the progress of former American Fork standout Bodie Schoonover. He’s an explosive athlete who is finally going to get some reps out there and I’m keen to find out what he can do.

5. Which BYU freshman will have the biggest year: Bachmeier, men’s basketball’s AJ Dybantsa, women’s volleyball standout Suli Davis or track phenom Jane Hedengren?

DICKSON: It’s a tough choice. All of the attention will be on Bachmeier at first but basketball season is coming soon and Dybantsa is just a force of nature. I have it on good authority that nearly every MTE (multi-team event) in the country called BYU because they wanted the Cougars and Dybantsa to hang with them at their tournament. Davis is going to wow a lot of people with her ability soon and Hedengren is in a class by herself. But I’ve got to go with Dybantsa as the No. 1 recruit in the country and an athlete totally unique for BYU. What will surprise a lot of fans is just how good of an all-around player he will be. Not only is he a scorer (get used to watching him shoot 8-12 free throws a game) but he’s a terrific and a willing passer as well as a long-armed, pesky defender.

GURNEY: Geez, you had to throw in Jane Hedengren, Darnell. I mean, she was named as the top female prep athlete nationally by Gatorade in any sport, so I think I’d have to be a little nuts to pick against her. But I am sort of nuts, and I’m really not up on my track and cross country, so I’m going to go with AJ Dybantsa. I mean, he’s the top recruit in the entire country, he performed very well for the USA men’s national team this summer and I think he’s going to provide something Cougar fans have never seen at the Marriott Center before with regards to what he can do on the hardwood.