Thursday, BYU and Utah football each placed a represenative on the Davey O’Brien Award Watch List. This award is annually bestowed upon the top quarterback in major college football.
The Cougars are represented by sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Last season at BYU, Bachmeier completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,033 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Additionally, he ran for 527 more yards and 11 scores for the Cougars in 2025.
The Utes’ representative is senior signal-caller Devon Dampier. Last season, Dampier completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,490 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions for Utah. On the ground, Dampier contributed 835 rushing yards and 10 additional scores.
Bachmeier and his BYU teammates start the season September 5 by hosting Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Dampier and his Utah teammates commence the 2026 campaign by hosting Idaho August 27 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
