BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff will be entering the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Retzlaff, who started for the Cougars last season, was reportedly facing a seven-game suspension had he remained at BYU due to an honor code violation tied to a civil lawsuit that he is involved in. Rather than spending half of his last season unable to play, he has opted to search for a new school.
Retlaff was a huge piece in BYU’s success last season, throwing for just under 3,000 yards, 20 touchdowns, and leading the Cougars to one of their best seasons in the past decade that included a 9-0 start. Had he entered the portal earlier in the offseason, he would have been one of the hottest targets, but there are surely still teams out there that could use his abilities in their quarterback room. Here are five potential landing spots for Jake Retzlaff in the transfer portal.
This makes the most sense and would give Retzlaff his best opportunity to start for a team competing near the top of college football. Following the departure of Nico Iamaleava to UCLA, the Vols brought in Joey Aguilar who played at App State last season and transferred to UCLA for a brief moment. Retzlaff would likely have a strong chance to beat out Aguilar for the starting job and could be a great fit in Josh Heupel’s high powered offense. If this were to happen it could create an all-time storyline line that perfectly sums up the current state of college football: Joey Aguilar potentially transferring from two different programs in the same offseason without ever putting on a uniform for either.
Retzlaff is a California kid so this would give him a chance to return to his home state. He would easily be the day one starter and star of this team. However, if he is looking for a place to win this season, Stanford may not be the spot in 2025 with what looks like a building block year for a program in a major transition. That said, interim head coach Frank Reich, a former QB himself and longtime NFL coach, could be an intriguing factor for a guy looking to improve his NFL stock in one season.
If Kalen DeBoer is not fully sold on Ty Simpson as the guy for this season, a year in which he must win to keep Alabama fans happy, then he should immediately give Retzlaff a call. The Tide’s current QB room has combined for zero college starts, 381 passing yards, and one passing touchdown; so a guy with Retzlaff’s resume should be welcomed. This one is pretty straightforward: If Simpson, the projected starter, has not wowed you in the offseason, then at least an attempt to bring in Retzlaff should be made.
Think of this like a situation similar to Michigan’s, but on a smaller scale. The Terps have a talented true freshman in 4-star Malik Washington, who could potentially start at quarterback this season. Now, whether the highly rated dual-threat prospect is ready to start at the college level is unknown at this point, but if he is not, Retzlaff would be a great addition which would allow the freshman a year to develop. In addition, he is head and shoulders above the other QBs on the roster, and would provide a major boost to a Maryland program that is starving to become relevant in the Big Ten.
If you're looking for a potential Group of Five destination, UNLV is enticing. The Rebels are a legit contender to represent the Group of 5 in the playoff if they can overcome Boise State, and Retzlaff at QB could be the piece that takes them over that hump.
UNLV brought in a pair of quarterbacks from the portal this offseason in Alex Orji and Anthony Colandrea who have been in a QB battle. In my opinion, Retzlaff would be a better option than either of those two quarterbacks in 2025. The real question is whether Dan Mullen is willing to move away from them, and potentially lose both, for one year of Retzlaff as he tries to build his program in Vegas. There are obviously several other possible Group of Five destinations though they may not come with the best NIL opportunities. With that in mind, I am not sure how much of that a guy who is in the midst of a very serious civil lawsuit can command in that realm.