Quarterback Jake Retzlaff's tenure at BYU has officially come to an end as the Cougars star announced he is enrolling at Tulane.
NEWS: Former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has committed to walk-on at Tulane, @PeteNakos_ reports🌊https://t.co/EOjcJUP9tB pic.twitter.com/k69TUw1XWF
— On3 (@On3sports) July 21, 2025
Retzlaff led the Cougars to an 11-2 record in 2024. He threw for 2,957 yards and 20 touchdowns, displaying terrific performance on the field, and was the talk of the town. Retzlaff's leadership and demeanor had a profound impact on the program and its fan base.
However, the fans and the community might view him differently because they wanted someone to stay in the program and help them win. In addition, Retzlaff decided to head for the exit after being informed that he would serve a 7-game suspension for violating the school's Honor Code.
It's rare to hear Retzlaff make headlines for the wrong reasons. Whatever the situation may be, we hope Retzlaff can redeem himself and have a chance to start on a clean slate. Can he take the Tulane program to enormous heights?
Tulane is in luck. They are looking to improve now that they have a good quarterback they can depend on. The Green Wave finished 9-5 last season under first-year coach Jon Sumrall. Before Sumrall took the keys, Willie Fritz was the head coach for eight seasons and deserves much credit for turning the program around.
In his last two seasons, Tulane finished 12-2 (7-1 conference play) and won the Cotton Bowl after defeating USC 46-45 in 2022. In 2023, Tulane finished 11-3 but lost in the Military Bowl to Virginia Tech, 41-20.
Retzlaff knows he will come to a team where there will be competition from a quarterback standpoint. The Green Wave has three other quarterbacks on their roster, and those are Illinois transfer Donovan Leary, Ball State transfer Kadin Semonza, and Iowa transfer Brendan Sullivan. None of these quarterbacks has a chance to start in a game, unless injuries or inconsistency come into play, but this job belongs to Retzlaff.
Retlaff brings a lot to the table, and he will come to the new season having something to prove, especially given the way things ended between him and BYU. He's looking to write a significantly better script for the 2025 season, featuring a new uniform.