BYU Freshman Quarterback Bear Bachmeier is Already 'Up to Speed' on the Playbook

If Bear Bachmeier continues to impress the coaching staff with his rapid understanding of the BYU offense and shows his potential in practices, punters may want to consider betting on him as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

Going into the three-man quarterback competition at BYU, true freshman Bear Bachmeier was the wildcard. His talent was undeniable. The 6'2 Stanford transfer was a coveted recruit coming out of high school. Even after an injury limited his senior season, Bachmeier picked up a late offer from Georgia who tried to flip him from Stanford. Bachmeier had all the tools to be a great quarterback for BYU.

However, his experience and knowledge of the playbook were in question. Could a true freshman quarterback (who was with another program in the spring no less) really learn a playbook and win a quarterback competition over two more experienced players? The first sign of a true three-man competition would be equal reps. On day one that question was answered. Bachmeier impressed the coaching staff enough to split first-team reps to start Fall Camp.

Although it's unwise to read too much into the first week of camp, Bachmeier was impressive on day one - he was efficient and accurate with the football. He didn't look like a true freshman taking his first snaps in a brand new offense. The next step would be his knowledge of the playbook.

After practice on Friday, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said Bachmeier is already "up to speed" on the BYU offense. "Just how quickly [Bear] has been able to learn," Roderick said. "He's very smart, very, very smart, and so he's he's up to speed. He needs reps as far as like chemistry with his teammates, but in terms of knowing what to do, he's been dialed every play."

If Bachmeier has really digested the playbook and his throwing ability is further along than anticipated, he has a real shot to win the starting job. As Roderick noted, however, he still lacks reps and chemistry with his teammates. That will come with more time in the program.

On day three, Bachmeier made a freshman mistake. Bachmeier held the ball in the pocket and threw it across the field for an interception. There was an obvious running lane, but instead of taking off and running, Bachmeier forced a bad throw. Initially, it looked like a freshman trying to do too much. However, the mistake made more sense in context: Aaron Roderick had asked Bachmeier to avoid scrambling for that particular drill, Roderick told the media after practice.

He's also made some highlight plays that show glimpses of his potential. On Friday, BYU released some practice highlights. Bachmeier threw a laser to fellow freshman LaMason Waller for a big gain. It was a 30-35 yard gain and the ball traveled 40 yards in the air.

At this point in his development, Bachmeier's chief strength will be his ability to extend plays and move the chains with his legs. That's something, partially by design, that he hasn't shown in the media observation windows. That is also the most difficult skill to evaluate in a camp setting.

The BYU coaching staff has a tough job to evaluate Bachmeier in such a short period of time. Whether it's Bachmeier, Hillstead, or Bourguet, splitting reps can only last so long. At some point, BYU will need to eliminate one quarterback from the competition to give more reps to the other two quarterbacks. Time will tell if Bachmeier makes the first cut of the quarterback competition.

Going into the three-man quarterback competition at BYU, true freshman Bear Bachmeier was the wildcard. His talent was undeniable. The 6'2 Stanford transfer was

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