Fresh off a record-breaking freshman season and bowl victory, the Cougars' rising star joins elite company in Louisiana to mentor the next generation of high school talent.
The BYU Cougars celebrated one of their best seasons in football history last year. The 12-2 record was capped off by an exciting Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Georgia Tech. This put them just outside the top ten in the final AP poll, which is their best finish in 30 years.
All of this was done with a true freshman quarterback.
Bear Bachmeier took the ball and saw the goal line during his first year in Provo. Nobody thought he would be the starter at the end of the 2025 season with Jake Retzlaff holding down the role. However, the senior was kicked out of school and the rest is history. No freshman BYU quarterback had ever won 12 games, but Bachmeier is different. He finished the season with 3,022 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns.
Now Bachmeier takes on a different role as a camp counselor at the Manning Passing Academy. More than 1,400 high school quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers will gather on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana later this week. This is a special edition of the academy in its 30th year.
What began three decades ago with just 185 campers has grown into one of the "nation's premier instructional football camps while remaining true to its original mission: making the game more enjoyable for young athletes."
"What keeps us going after all these years is the chance to give back to the game that's given so much to our family," said Archie Manning, who serves as the camp's executive director and as chairman of the National Football Foundation, said in a statement. "We're not trying to create superstars; we're trying to help young players love the game more, lead better, and grow as teammates. That's the heart of the Manning Passing Academy."
Bachmeier wants to build off winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. As he starts his sophomore campaign, the 19-year-old, standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 230 pounds, will be under the exact same system under the guidance of offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. Taking similar reps under a fine-tuned scheme will help Bachmeier's progression. He'll get what he's missing, which is experience.
There’s no reason why Bachmeier can’t be even better in his sequel season. He'll have a good supporting cast, including 1,000-year rusher LJ Martin, who will share some of the offensive spark. This year could be Kalani Satake's best to date with the Cougars on the fringe of a first-ever College Football Playoff berth.
