NEW ORLEANS — BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier was today named to the preseason Watch List for the Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The 2026 watch list features 40 of the nation's top quarterbacks entering the 2026 college football season.
Nine FBS conferences and one independent program have student-athletes included on the watch list. The Big Ten leads all conferences with 12 selections, followed by the SEC and Big 12 with eight each and the ACC with six.
In 2025, Bachmeier was named a semifinalist for both the Davey O'Brien Award and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year. He was also a candidate for the Manning Award.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore from Murrieta, California, completed 251 of 387 passes (64.9 percent) for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025. He averaged 216.6 yards per game passing and was second on the team in rushing, with 147 carries for 527 yards and 11 scores.
Bachmeier was honored as conference freshman of the week seven times in 12 weeks during the 2025 regular season, on his way to earning the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year Award and being named Big 12 Honorable Mention. As an offensive co-captain, Bachmeier helped lead No. 12 BYU to an 11-2 record in 2025, a trip to the Big 12 Championship and an invitation of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Recently, Bachmeier was named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award and the Maxwell Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to the most outstanding player in college football. Bachmeier was also named Preseason All-Big 12 by Phil Steele and Pro Football Network.
The official Manning Award Midseason Watch List will be released on Nov. 5 and will contain active starting quarterbacks from the Preseason Watch List and players honored as weekly award winners through the season's first nine weeks of the season. The winner will be announced after the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 27.
BYU kicks off the 2026 football season against Utah Tech on Saturday, Sept. 5 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT.