It was common to see quarterback Bear Bachmeier change Aaron Roderick’s play call at the line of scrimmage during his debut season. The freedom given to such a young newcomer and the frequency of his audibles was uncommon for the veteran offensive coordinator.
But it worked.
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“We audibled more last year than I think I ever have in my career with a freshman quarterback,” said Roderick after Wednesday’s practice. “Now, just about every play out here, he has two or three options.”
Even as Bachmeier speeds up his development, the game itself is slowing down.
“He already played like a veteran as a freshman,” Roderick said. “Just Year 2 in the offense, you can see he really has ownership of what we are doing. He understands what all 11 guys are doing on offense and defense on most plays.”
As a true freshman thrust into playing time and without the luxury of spring practices, the summer signee passed for 3,030 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 527 yards and a program quarterback-record 11 touchdowns as BYU won 12 games for the first time in 24 years.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier looks to throw during spring camp on March 6, 2026, in Provo. | Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo
Still 5½ months away from kicking off his second season on Sept. 5 against Utah Tech, Bachmeier is making the most of his inaugural spring workouts.
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“He’s doing a really nice job taking the next step,” Roderick said. “He’s getting the ball out of his hands quickly, and he’s doing a nice job bringing along the other guys like (tight ends) Walker Lyons and Roger (Saleapaga) — building chemistry with those guys and teaching them the offense.”
Roderick’s approach with Bachmeier is less talk and more action, especially in the line of fire when the game is on.
“That’s one of the reasons we went (back) to huddling. He can read the play on the wristband and really process it before going to the line of scrimmage,” Roderick said. “After the first couple of games, I wasn’t talking to him all that much. I’d just call the play, and he would read it off his wristband and go, and that’s how we intend to play again this year.”
Bachmeier has 14 games under his belt, including the Big 12 championship tilt and the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and he earned the honor of being named the Big 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
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It’s a tremendous start, but Roderick knows he can get better.
“He still has lots of things we are working on to improve,” he said. “What is nice is just his command of what we are doing makes it so we can take it to the next level.”
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick talks to players during a practice at BYU’s outdoor practice facility in Provo. | BYU Photo
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.
