Stanford Cardinal Transfer Could be BYU's Starting QB

A former Stanford commit may very well get his chance to shine after all. Originally committed to the Cardinal and slated to join forces with his brother, Tiger Bachmeier, Bear Bachmeier announced after the start of spring practices that he was entering the transfer portal, hoping to find a better opportunity for a starting job. Eventually, Bachmeier decided to go to BYU where he was expected to serve as the backup to Jake Retzlaff.

But amid recent developments, Retzlaff expected to enter the transfer portal, causing the Cougars to enter the season with a lot more questions than answers. However, with Bachemeier there, is it possible that the true freshman will get the chance to start for BYU in 2025?

With Retzlaff departing and new five-star signee, Ryder Lyons, going on a two-year mission for the church, the Cougars only have four quarterbacks on their roster-- redshirt sophomore Treyson Bourguet, freshman Emerson Geilman, sophomore McCae Hillstead and Bachmeier. Bourguet is the only one of those options with starting experience, but has only started a total of eight games in three years.

Bachmeier now has a real chance to compete for the job and keep BYU competitive until Lyons is ready to suit up for the program. A three-year starter at Murrieta Valley, Bachmeier has shown that he has the talent to go up against the best of the best, and with 20 offers coming out of high school, there is no question that teams view him as a difference maker.

When he committed to Stanford and joined the team for spring practices, there were rumblings that he was in the mix to start, even with guys like Elijah Brown and transfer Dylan Rizk on the roster. So now that he is on a team with fewer options at quarterback, it would not be a total surprise to see Bachmeier under center in Week One.

BYU is coming off of a season in which it went 11-2 and won the Alamo Bowl-- the program's first bowl win since 2020 and first 10 or more win season since 2021. Retzlaff was expected to be the team's headlining player in their quest for a national title run but now that he is gone, the Cougars will need someone else to step up. If Bachmeier can be the guy, then they may be in good shape.