Rising star Bear Bachmeier turned down millions to stay in Provo, outranking Michigan’s Bryce Underwood as he leads a potent BYU offense into a pivotal Big 12 title hunt.
The BYU Cougars are hitting the final stretch prior to the 2026 football season with a great amount of optimum. Kalani Sitake's team is expected to compete for a Big 12 title behind one of the best returning core units in the nation.
Bear Bachmeier's stock is rising and the latest national QB rankings prove it. After an outstanding true freshman season last year, the Cougars' signal-caller is fourth-best in the Big 12, according to The Athletic. Two immediate takeaways from the rankings say just how good Bachmeier is compared to his peers.
While he was No. 30 overall in the nation, Bachmeier was one of the highest-ranked underclassmen on the list. He was also slotted ahead of Michigan's Bryce Underwood, who enters a pivotal year in Ann Arbor with Kyle Whittingham as head coach.
The $12.5 million quarterback was given one of the highest NIL offers in history to flip from LSU to Michigan. The former five-star product was No. 31 overall. While Underwood was chasing a pay day, Bachmeier did the exact opposite this offseason, turning down a $5 million offer from another Power Four program.
"Bachmeier’s production as a true freshman (3,033 passing yards, 527 rushing, 26 TDs responsible for) was terrific," The Athletic's Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. wrote.
"He’s a tough runner and a capable, though not elite, passer with plenty of room for improvement. He didn’t impress coaches with his physical traits, but many called him solid. “Big, tough, perfect for BYU’s system and what they do,” a Big 12 head coach said. “He’ll continue to grow. I don’t think he’s an NFL-type, first-round draft pick right now. He’s still young.” Said a Big 12 OC, “He's kind of a game manager. He can run but he doesn’t scare you in that he's gonna take over and win you a game throwing the football.”
Bachmeier was thrown into fire last year and responded in the way a seasoned vet would have in the clutch. He was one of the reasons why BYU put up a 12-2 record with two losses to Texas Tech. There were noticeable growing pains, which he's working to improve upon before the upcoming season. He was named to the Manning Passing Academy roster of quarterbacks as a camp counselor and looked to be more polished with better mechanics.
BYU opens the 2026 season against Utah Tech on Saturday, Sept 5 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
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