Bear Bachmeier: Who Is The BYU Quarterback At The Center Of The Viral ‘Naked Family Dinners’ Story

Bear Bachmeier has already given college football fans plenty to talk about with his play at BYU. Now, though, the Cougars quarterback is going viral for something that has absolutely nothing to do with what happens between the sidelines. A seemingly throwaway comment during a recent FOX broadcast has sparked questions about whether Bachmeier and his family really sit down for dinner together completely naked.

The conversation dates back to BYU’s September 12 win over Arizona. During the broadcast, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III related something Bachmeier apparently told the FOX crew while they were preparing for the game. According to Griffin, Bachmeier said that when his family gets together for dinner, “sometimes they just take their clothes off.” The comment resurfaced on social media days later and, unsurprisingly, took on a life of its own.

There is an important piece of context here: Bachmeier himself has not publicly explained exactly what Griffin meant. BYU entered a bye week following its September 19 win over Colorado State, meaning reporters haven’t had the usual postgame opportunity to ask him about the story. Griffin also hadn’t offered additional clarification as of September 24, so the internet is currently working with one secondhand anecdote from a television broadcast rather than Bachmeier confirming, denying or explaining a regular “naked dinner” tradition.

Long before that story started trending, Bachmeier was building a name as one of the more intriguing young quarterbacks in college football. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore is from Murrieta, California, where he starred at Murrieta Valley High School. A four-star recruit, he finished his high school career with 6,810 passing yards and 59 touchdowns while adding 1,724 rushing yards and another 33 scores. He was also a multi-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in baseball and basketball in addition to football.

Bachmeier originally enrolled at Stanford and participated in the program’s spring practices in 2025 before transferring to BYU without ever playing a regular season game for the Cardinal. Once he landed in Provo, the freshman quickly took over the offense. He became BYU’s first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener and ultimately started all 14 games, throwing for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 527 yards and 11 more scores. BYU went 12-2, and Bachmeier was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Football also runs deep in the Bachmeier family. His older brother Hank played quarterback at Boise State, Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest, while another brother, Tiger, began his college career at Stanford before eventually transferring to BYU. Bear is one of five children born to April and Michael Bachmeier, alongside brothers Hank, Tiger and Buck and sister Ella, who competed in track at the University of Redlands. Bear also plays guitar, according to his official BYU bio.

His sophomore season has only added to the expectations surrounding him. Through BYU’s first three games, Bachmeier has thrown for 642 yards while helping the Cougars start 3-0. Against Arizona, he accounted for all four of BYU’s touchdowns — three passing and one rushing — and was subsequently named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and selected to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8. He entered the season on watch lists for several major quarterback and national player awards and was also voted one of BYU’s offensive captains.

So yes, the “naked dinner” headline is easily the strangest reason Bachmeier has found himself trending. But it has also introduced a much larger audience to a quarterback who was already emerging as one of the faces of BYU football. Until Bachmeier or Griffin provides more context, exactly what happens around the Bachmeier family dinner table remains more viral mystery than established fact. What is much easier to confirm is that Bachmeier’s football résumé is quickly becoming substantial enough that this probably won’t be the last time his name ends up in the national conversation.

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