Jake Retzlaff announced weeks ago that he will transfer from BYU rather than face a reported seven-game suspension for violating the school's honor code. His transfer destination has now been announced, and he will transfer to Tulane, where he will compete for the Green Wave's starting quarterback spot.
Sources: Former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has verbally committed to transfer to Tulane. The school has spent more than a week doing a vetting process, including the university’s Title IX office examining the case that resulted in Retzlaff withdrawing from BYU. pic.twitter.com/zikloU06Wi
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 21, 2025
While most BYU fans will wish Jake well at his new school and check Tulane box scores with curiosity throughout the upcoming season, it's safe to say many will also feel a lingering sadness when imagining would could have been had Retzlaff played his senior season in Provo.
Jake Retzlaff had an electric 2024 campaign
After leading BYU's offense to an 11-2 season last year, it's safe to say Jake Retzlaff had become the face of the program. While Retzlaff's stats last year didn't jump off the page - he averaged just 227 passing yards per game and completed 57.9% of his attempts - he did what it took for the Cougars to enjoy a double-digit win season in just their second year of Power Four football.
Retzlaff delivered the magical game-winning touchdown against Oklahoma State.
He manufactured the final drive in the epic win against Utah to set up a game-winning field goal, including huge throws to Chase Roberts and Darius Lassiter, and a smart option pitch to Hinckley Ropati.
As the Cougars continued to rack up wins last year, the team's junior quarterback's national profile rose. Retzlaff, who is Jewish, openly referred to himself as the "B-Y-Jew" which both endeared him to BYU fans while leading to a prominent NIL deal with Manischewitz, a Jewish-owned company that specializes in Kosher foods.
ESPN did a profile on Retzlaff, highlighting him as one of just three Jewish students at BYU and the positive experience he was having at a university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was interviewed by Jim Rome.
Coming off an 11-2 season in 2024 and with a ton of momentum behind him, Jake Retzlaff seemed destined to raise BYU in 2025 to heights that the school has rarely seen before. He would be a senior. He was a proven, experienced winner. He knew Aaron Roderick's offense. He would be surrounded by a strong cast of offensive weapons.
The 2025 season was shaping up perfectly for a monster year for BYU as a team, and for Jake Retzlaff as an individual player.
Jake Retzlaff could have been an all-time BYU legend
But now, sadly, the dream of the B-Y-Jew leading the Cougars to a Big 12 title in 2025 and a spot in the College Football Playoffs won't happen.
Jake is headed for an uncertain future at Tulane.
Kalani Sitake's team is working through an uncertain depth chart at quarterback.
Had Jake Retzlaff followed up his 11-2 campaign last year with a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance this year, he would have been memorialized as an all-time great in Provo. He would have been remembered as the quarterback who proved that the Cougars belonged among the powerhouses in the Big 12, validating BYU as a true national contender.
His personal story as the Jewish quarterback excelling at a Latter-day Saint institution would have resonated for generations to come. While Retzlaff's passing numbers would never rival those of former greats like Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, and Steve Young, Retzlaff would have been known as a winner. He would have been the quarterback who elevated BYU's national profile as a Big 12 contender.
As Jake Retzlaff transfers to Tulane, his legacy at BYU will be reduced largely to a speculative "what if?" discussion.
As BYU fans, we will cherish the electric moments Jake Retzlaff produced during the Cougars' magical 2024 season. But those memories will be tinged with a degree of sadness as we also consider what more could have been.