BYU suffered a major setback when quarterback Jake Retzlaff entered the spring college football transfer portal with a suspension looming. Nearly two months later, Kalani Sitake has finally settled on his successor and officially named freshman Bear Bachmeier as BYU's starter to begin the 2025 college football season.
Sitake officially confirmed Bachmeier as the starting quarterback on Tuesday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. Once he takes his opening snap, Bachmeier will become the first true freshman to start Week 1 in BYU football history.
Although a true freshman, Bachmeier joined the team from the college football transfer portal. He initially committed to Stanford and enrolled early, but changed his course of action in the spring. Bachmeier subsequently flipped his commitment to Sitake and the Cougars shortly before Retzlaff's departure.
Bachmeier, a three-star recruit, won BYU's preseason quarterback battle that was forced by Retzlaff's sudden transfer decision. He competed with Utah State transfer McCae Hillstead and Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet. Hillstead was the favorite entering fall camp, but slowly lost his grip on the job as Bachmeier continued to climb.
Bachmeier is the younger brother of Hank Bachmeier, who spent his six-year college football tenure with Boise State, Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest. The older Bachmeier wrapped up his NCAA career with the Demon Deacons in 2024, where he recorded 2,593 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games.
BYU football hopes Bear Bachmeier resolves Jake Retzlaff drama
Unlike many of his teammates, Bear Bachmeier is not coming off a two-year mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, making him a true, 19-year-old freshman. Considering the drama that unfolded with Retzlaff, the program can only hope that Bachmeier will provide stability under center for years to come.
While Retzlaff led the team to immense success on the field — going 11-2 in 2024 — his extracurriculars gave the team numerous headaches. An unnamed woman accused him of sexual assault shortly after the season ended, sparking an immediate investigation. The case was eventually dismissed, but not taken lightly by the school, which reportedly informed Retzlaff that he would likely face suspension during the 2025 season.
Instead of sitting out most of the year, Retzlaff opted to enter the college football transfer portal, where he has since committed to Tulane. The Green Wave lost star freshman Darian Mensah to the portal earlier in the year and have yet to name their 2025 starter, with Retzlaff and Iowa transfer Brendan Sullivan leading the way. However, Sullivan suffered a leg injury late in the preseason, likely clearing the way for Retzlaff.
