Murrieta Valley High School in Southern California was buzzing with pride this week, as news broke that former Nighthawks star Bear Bachmeier has been named the starting quarterback for BYU. Despite being a true freshman and only arriving in Provo a few months ago, Bachmeier earned the job and will make history as the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for the Cougars when BYU faces Portland State on August 30.
For Murrieta Valley head coach George Wilson, who led the Nighthawks program for 12 years, the announcement sparked excitement across the school.
“Everybody in town knows the Bachmeiers, and everybody follows all of them,” Wilson said. “I am not surprised at all that he is starting. He was a national recruit and could have gone to any school in the country. Off the field, he’s a humble kid with high moral character. He’s just a good, down-to-earth human being.”
Bachmeier was a three-year starter at Murrieta Valley, a school located about 65 miles north of San Diego and best known athletically for producing professional golfer Rickie Fowler. Last season, Bachmeier began his college career at Stanford, participating in spring practices before transferring to BYU in May alongside his older brother Tiger, a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.
Adding an interesting twist to the storyline, the quarterback who preceded Bachmeier at Murrieta Valley, Brandon Rose, started for Utah in last year’s 22-21 loss to BYU in Salt Lake City. Rose has since transferred to UMass, where he was recently named the Minutemen’s opening-day starter.
Now, Bachmeier steps into the spotlight at BYU with both high expectations and strong community support behind him. His debut will not only mark a historic first for the Cougars but could also set the tone for a new era of BYU football.
