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Jake Retzlaff is headed to the Big Easy. The former BYU quarterback has verbally committed to Tulane, as confirmed by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Tulane conducted more than a week of thorough background work on Retzlaff, including a Title IX office review of the case that led to his BYU exit. With kickoff just weeks away, the Green Wave are working quickly to get Retzlaff ready as their likely QB1.
Retzlaff’s departure from BYU came after he faced a seven-game suspension for honor code violations. The punishment stemmed from sexual assault allegations (which were later dismissed in a civil lawsuit) and Retzlaff’s admission to violating BYU’s strict no-premarital-sex policy.
In an unusual move, Retzlaff withdrew from school completely rather than entering the transfer portal. He had to take this route because BYU wouldn’t grant him a release as a designated athlete, forcing him to restart his college career from scratch.
His on-field credentials are impressive. Retzlaff threw for nearly 3,000 yards and ran for over 400 last season, accounting for 26 total touchdowns.
The Green Wave desperately needed a quarterback.
Tulane’s QB situation has been a revolving door this offseason. The chaos began when Darian Mensah bolted for Duke on a reported $8 million deal over two years. The program quickly landed TJ Finley — a well-traveled signal-caller with previous stops at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, and Western Kentucky — but that plan collapsed when Finley was suspended indefinitely following an April arrest.
The quarterback room heading into fall camp already included Illinois transfer Donovan Leary, Ball State transfer Kadin Semonza, and Iowa transfer Brendan Sullivan. Sullivan brings the most experience, having started three games for the Hawkeyes last season after making eight starts during his two years at Northwestern.
Retzlaff’s dual-threat capabilities and big-game experience give him the inside track to win the starting job — assuming he can quickly pick up the playbook after missing spring practice. His ability to extend plays with his legs should add a dimension that Tulane’s offense has been missing.
