Bear Bachmeier was the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener in BYU history in the 2025 season. He now enters the 2026 season as the unquestioned face of the Cougars.
What the Upcoming Notre Dame Game Means to Bear Bachmeier
BYU is set up for a strong home presence in 2026, with seven games scheduled at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The slate isn’t short on challenges either, as three opponents from the upcoming schedule ended last season ranked in the AP Top 25, including Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame squad.
Bachmeier didn’t hold back when discussing that high-voltage game, which is already generating plenty of discussion.
“It’ll be a really big opportunity,” Bachmeier said on Friday. “I think just the Notre Dame brand holds a lot of water. We didn’t really get a lot of respect last year, so I’m glad they’re on the schedule, and it’ll be a really fun game.”
The Notre Dame game will be on Oct. 17, which is the undisputed crown jewel of the home schedule. It also serves as a rematch of the 2022 Shamrock Series clash in Las Vegas, where Notre Dame won 28-20.
This game sits squarely between a physical conference battle with Iowa State on Oct. 10 and a long-distance road trip to UCF on Oct. 24. Managing emotional and physical energy will be crucial for Bachmeier and his teammates.
When it comes to the Notre Dame game, Bachmeier admitted it’s something that lingers in the back of his mind, though it’s not his main focus right now.
“I mean, it’s always in the back of your head, but we’re in spring right now. You just kind of take it one day at a time. So it’s in the back of your head, but not really thinking about it a lot.”
Bachmeier’s Continued Growth in Spring Practice
Bachmeier led BYU to a 12-2 record in 2025, capped by a 25-21 win over Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and he now aims to build on that success and maintain his high level of performance in the upcoming season.
Analyst Jarom Jordan praised Bachmeier’s progress during spring practices.
“Bear Bachmeier continues to get better,” Jordan said. “He’s even quicker in his pre-snap assessment. He’s getting the ball out. He’s making great decisions. He’s looking good.”
“Remember, this is the first spring. He was at Stanford last year for their spring ball, then transferred in May. Full off-season. Full off-season in the strength and conditioning program, in the playbook. Although by the time BYU got to fall camp, he had the playbook fully scotched into his mind, and he was good.”
Bachmeier delivered a strong all-around performance last season, throwing for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns while also contributing 527 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground. His efforts earned him an 84.2 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric, placing him 30th nationally.
