He can perform in the air. He can outrun the top DLs, and most of all has never let down his team so far. Well, we are not talking about Superman here, of course. But, Bear Bachmeier, the BYU QB1, is nothing less than Superman either for his team. Owing to his performances, the Cougars are undefeated, having decimated teams like Utah, Iowa State, and Colorado. However, when Pat McAfee uttered the same praise for the 19-year-old, the Utes faithful weren’t kind.

McAfee is hosting College GameDay with Nick Saban, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and Kirk Herbstreit in Salt Lake City, Utah. When asked about his top team in the Big 12, McAfee chose BYU instead of Utah. Not just that, the WYU alum also dubbed Bear Bachmeier as the best QB in the Big 12. “There’s a freshman quarterback for BYU. Bear Bachmeier, who looks very cool. He has a very cool number, he has a very cool name, and he used to be able to run all over the place. He was a dog, you know, 47, looks like a linebacker, plays like a linebacker,” said Pat McAfee.

Within moments, the Utah crowd present at the GameDay erupted in loud boos for the former NFL star turned broadcaster for choosing Bear Bachmeier over Devon Dampier. That didn’t affect McAfee, however, and he still continued his analysis of BYU’s QB1 amid loud boos. “Last week he went for 300 and seven through the air, 49 yards rushing in three total touchdowns. He’s only getting better. He’s a freshman who’s only getting better for them. So it’s hard not to say that BYU is the best team in the Big 12 right now,” announced McAfee.

The boos surely stem from an agonizing defeat for Utah and the ‘Holy War’ rivalry.

The BYU Cougars in week 8 hosted Utah and extracted a deserving 24-21 win. In that game, Bachmeier was phenomenal, passing for 166 yards and rushing for another 64 yards for a touchdown. Not to mention, Bachmeier’s 22-yard rushing touchdown at 3rd and 11 sealed BYU’s 24-point lead in the fourth quarter. The performance would surely haunt Utah, which suffered its second defeat of the season. Apart from the Utes’ performance, Bear Bachmeier is surely a revelation this season.

When BYU suspended its QB1, Jake Retzlaff, and his transfer to Tulane, many thought that the QB room would be a problem for the Cougars. Entered true freshman Bear Bachmeier out of nowhere, ending those worries. No one had thought that a 6’1″ and 220 lbs 3-star QB would lead the program. But with some belief and help from Kalani Sitake and the coaching staff, the QB1 is now charting his Heisman journey.

Not just Pat McAfee, Bachmeier has another fan in a former Heisman winner

The 19-year-old boasts 1,693 passing yards so far for 11 touchdowns, with just 3 interceptions in 8 games. Cherry on top? The Murrieta, California, native is highly prolific on the ground, too. For context, so far he has accumulated 408 rushing yards for a whopping 9 touchdowns and even has a reception to his name. No wonder Pat McAfee called him a linebacker in a quarterback’s position. But is he a Heisman contender?

Robert Griffin III, a former Heisman winner, recently posted his top-5 picks. Haynes King of Georgia Tech got the first spot, followed by QBs like Julian Sayin, Ty Simpson, and Fernando Mendoza. The CFB legend kept Bachmeier at the 5th spot and was bullish for the QB’s Heisman contention.

“This guy is an explosive runner, anything that he can possibly do to go score, he’s gonna do it. . He leads the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns for quarterbacks, and he’s decisive as a runner and as a thrower of the football,” said Griffin about Bachmeier.

BYU has Texas Tech as its next game on November 8th, followed by TCU and Cincinnati. Lastly, the game against UCF will be the ultimate test. The schedule is then packed with teams that will limit Bear Bachmeier’s ability, so if he can perform against them, a Heisman wouldn’t be too far-fetched to expect for him.