He could be coming back to haunt you next season - if coach Bronco Mendenhall plays along.

Then again, in another twist of irony, he could become the second ex-Cougar quarterback to join a team that beat BYU last season, putting his name alongside that of Ben Olson.

Bower, football fans may recall, is the highly touted quarterback who signed with BYU out of Mountain View High in Meridian, Idaho, in 2004.

He went on an LDS Church mission to Wisconsin from 2004-06, then redshirted in 2006, although he was listed as the third-string quarterback that year behind John Beck and Jason Beck.

Bower left the program last winter for reasons that aren't altogether clear but always seem to reach back to a disagreement-conflict he had with quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman and the fact that Mendenhall reportedly asked him to switch positions (to linebacker or tight end).

Bower transferred to Bakersfield (Calif.) Junior College and had a sensational season as a redshirt freshman, guiding the Renegades to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the California state tournament for junior colleges. Bower threw for more than 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns, but his playing time was limited because his team was involved in so many blowouts, outscoring opponents 398-166.

He is rated as the No. 1 junior college quarterback in the country by jcfootball.com.

Which leads us to his next step.

Bower is being recruited by dozens of Division I schools (he's eligible to sign now and play spring ball for his chosen school after taking something like 60 credit hours last year at Bakersfield to get his associates degree) and has given a soft commitment to Tulsa, one of only two schools that defeated BYU last season. He will make an official campus visit to Tulsa next week (Jan. 11), after the Golden Hurricane play their bowl game on Sunday against Bowling Green.

If Bower likes what he sees in Tulsa, he could sign on the spot because the signing period for junior college players began in December and runs through mid-January.

But the story might not end there.

Bower also has offers from Boise State, Fresno State, Kansas State, Troy, Akron and two Mountain West Conference schools who had senior starting quarterbacks, Colorado State and San Diego State. He even talked to Utah, but never got an offer from the Utes, who received an oral commitment Monday night from Las Vegas prep star Devonte Christopher. The part about CSU and SDSU is where Mendenhall comes in. If Bower transfers to an MWC school, he would have to sit out a year, per league rules, unless Mendenhall agrees to sign a release that essentially would clear the way for him to play at a conference school next fall.

"Colorado State wants me to call [Mendenhall] to see if he will sign it," Bower said Wednesday. "I am kind of flirting with that idea, but I haven't called him yet."

Bower, a big quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, could also return to Bakersfield for his sophomore season and see if any other schools, perhaps even one from a BCS conference, makes an offer when he has another season under his belt.

"I'm being careful and cautious," he said. "I can always come back here to Bakersfield and play again. It's a tough decision, so I want to make the right one."

drew@sltrib.com