BYU QB Bear Bachmeier graces cover of Athlon College Football Preview
May 15, 2026, 3:23 PM
PROVO – BYU starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier is on the cover of a college football preview magazine entering the 2026 season.
The print industry isn’t what it once was, but there’s still a strong number of college football fans who enjoy a preview magazine as the summer nears.
If you’re one of those people, you’ll see Bear Bachmeier on the cover of the West Coast edition of the Athlon Sports 2026 College Football Preview.
BYU QB Bear Bachmeier is one of four players on the West Coast cover of Athlon Sports 2026 College Football preview. pic.twitter.com/dniXBtC1ws
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) May 15, 2026
Bear Bachmeier on West Coast cover of the 2026 Athlon Sports preview
It’s the second consecutive year a BYU player has graced the cover of the preview. Last year, it was quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who graced the cover, but ultimately didn’t end up playing as he faced an Honor Code violation.
That opened the door for Bachmeier to step in as BYU’s starting quarterback, and he guided the Cougars to a 12-win season in his first year as the starter.
Bachmeier is the third BYU player to grace the Athlon Sports cover this decade. The other was former quarterback Zach Wilson in 2020.
Three Big Ten signal-callers join Bachmeier on the West Coast cover, as Oregon’s Dante Moore is in the center of the cover. Then USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. complete the cover.
Bachmeier passed for 3,033 yards, completing 64.9% of his passes, and tossing 15 touchdowns, while also running for 527 yards and 11 touchdown runs.
The Murrieta, California, native earned Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year for his play.
BYU football opens the 2026 season against Utah Tech on Saturday, September 5.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
