Former BYU Quarterback Jake Retzlaff has reached a decision, announcing his commitment to the Tulane Green Wave as a walk-on.
The junior signal caller started all 13 games last season for the Cougars, completing 213 of 368 passes (57.9% completion rate) for 2,947 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 417 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on 100 carries, leading BYU to an 11-2 record (7-2 in conference play) in the team’s second season in the BIG 12.
Retzlaff withdrew from BYU after he was set to serve a seven-game suspension during the upcoming 2025 season due to violating the school’s honor code, leading him to depart from the program and commit elsewhere.
Tulane is in need of a high-quality starting quarterback following Darian Mensah’s decision to enter the transfer portal and commit to Duke. Mensah succeeded four-year starter Michael Pratt (2020–2023) and took over in the 2024 season, completing 65.9% of his passes for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. He led the Green Wave to a 9–5 record (7–1 in American Athletic Conference play) and an AAC Championship berth against Army. However, with no guarantee of retaining the starting job in 2025, Mensah opted to hit the portal and transfer to the Blue Devils.
Veteran quarterback TJ Finley was expected to replace Darian Mensah, but he is no longer with the team after being suspended and entering the transfer portal amid legal issues.
Now, with the quarterback job up for grabs, Jake Retzlaff has a chance to start fresh and continue his football career. It won’t come easy, though—he enters a crowded quarterback room that includes Illinois transfer Donovan Leary, Ball State transfer Kadin Semonza, and Iowa transfer Brendan Sullivan. Still, with Retzlaff’s prior experience competing against high-level competition, he has as good a chance as anyone to win the starting job.