Jake Retzlaff’s journey to Tulane was anything but conventional. After leading BYU to an 11–2 record in 2024 and establishing himself as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, his future took a sharp turn. A lawsuit that was later dismissed, and a subsequent violation of BYU’s strict honor code led to a seven-game suspension. The violation may have been minor by most college standards, but BYU has different rules and standards that made this predicament serious enough to end Retzlaff’s tenure at the university.
A New Beginning in New Orleans
Ten days later, Retzlaff committed to Tulane as a walk-on. Tulane did their due diligence on the situation before allowing him to enter their program and they felt comfortable enough with the information on hand to give him the opportunity of joining the team. Once cleared by the school’s Title IX office, he entered a competitive quarterback room with no promises. But Retzlaff embraced this challenge and took on the chance head on ready to compete for everything. Tulane made that clear with him before he joined and there seemed to be no push back whatsoever from Retzlaff.
Preparing for the Opener
Retzlaff had just over a month to learn Tulane’s playbook, adjust to the coaching staff, and build chemistry with his teammates. The Louisiana heat in August added another layer of difficulty which many don’t think about when he came from a completely different climate out there in Utah. But he approached the process with urgency and maturity, earning respect in the locker room very quickly and was praised by the others in the locker room for his poise, football IQ, and athleticism. He adjusted faster than most would in the circumstances that happened in the last couple months.
Game Day: Tulane vs. Northwestern
On August 30, 2025, Jake Retzlaff would make his first official start for the Green Wave in their season opener against Northwestern. The game carried enormous weight—not only as the start of a new season, but as a potential stepping stone toward Tulane’s ambitious College Football Playoff hopes. Tulane has a reputation as one of the more feisty Group of 5 programs out there contending for their conference and national prominence on a yearly basis. Retzlaff’s presence under center added an element of unpredictability to the offense, as he brought both experience and mobility to a team replacing longtime starter Darian Mensah.
So far so good for the former BYU transfer as he had a stellar first half leading Tulane to a 20-3 lead at the break. Retzlaff accounted for 2 touchdowns and over 100 rushing yards running the offense rather smoothly for someone that has only been with the team for a month. His passing wasn’t bad but the timing with him and his receivers were definitely a little off which is to be expected at this point. He ended up playing within the system for the rest of the game not trying to do too much in the second half getting out of there with a win, which they ultimately did. The defense led the charge with four interceptions on Northwestern and holding the offense to only three total points. Final score was 23-3 and Tulane convincingly handled them only spelling more potential for this team going forward.
All in all, for Retzlaff to do what he’s done in the duration of time he’s done it is very impressive to say the least. Tulane is versing Northwestern, which many may say isn’t the best competition, but this is still a group of 5 team versing a Big Ten program and they are handling them rather easily. With Boise State losing to USF on Thursday, this leaves the door open even more for any program to take the next opportunity for that at-large group of 5 bid for the college football playoff.
Redemption and Opportunity
Beyond the stats or final score, Retzlaff’s debut for Tulane was about redemption. It marked the first step in rewriting his story—not as the quarterback who left BYU under controversy, but as a leader determined to make the most of a second chance. Surrounded by a team and a campus where he feels accepted, Retzlaff seems ready to turn the page and write a new chapter in both his football career and personal life.
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