BYU Quarterback Cited Disrespect from Notre Dame for Upset Win
Bear Bachmeier stated that Notre Dame's past actions during his recruitment fueled his motivation in BYU's recent victory over the Fighting Irish.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier revealed that a perceived disrespect from Notre Dame during his high school recruitment process was a significant motivator in the Cougars' 28-24 upset victory over the Fighting Irish.
Bachmeier, who threw for 224 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two scores in the game, stated that he and his family felt they were "disrespected" by Notre Dame during his recruitment. "Out of high school, Notre Dame disrespected me and my family pretty badly, and I wasn't going to lose to those guys, there was no way I was going to lose to those guys," Bachmeier told reporters after the game.
While Bachmeier did not elaborate on the specific nature of the alleged disrespect, reports suggest it may be linked to his recruitment process. Notre Dame was among several major programs to offer Bachmeier a scholarship. According to Rivals, he was reportedly close to committing to Notre Dame, but the program had another recruit, Deuce Knight, ranked higher on its list. Knight committed to Notre Dame in September 2023 and later decommitted before committing to Auburn.
Bachmeier initially enrolled at Stanford but transferred to BYU before the spring practices began. He and his brother, wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier, joined the BYU program. Bear Bachmeier became the starting quarterback during the 2025 season after the previous starter, Jake Retzlaff, transferred to Tulane. This season, Bachmeier has passed for nearly 1,300 yards and rushed for 284 yards in six games for BYU.