NCAA Transfer Portal Rumors: Jake Retzlaff is running out of time

The wayward quarterback's options are growing more limited by the day.
Houston v Brigham Young
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Jake Retzlaff is running out of options

When Jake Retzlaff's status shifted from starting quarterback to pseudo free agent, optimism was high for his chances of securing a new seat at a competitive program. A cushy recliner with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. A lawn chair in the sun with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. But the wave of media coverage has met with an abrupt halt in momentum.

Shrouded in a dark cloud of mystery, the lightning strikes over Camp Retzlaff have been unsettlingly sparse in recent days.

But given the situation, was there ever a realistic scenario that included Retzlaff finding a new collegiate home with a serious contender after withdrawing from the BYU football program just months before his final season? Given the information coming down the pipeline, we can safely say that best-case fantasy was nothing more than a hopeful hypothetical. When bobbing for apples in a swimming pool, you'd be lucky -- or unlucky -- to catch anything in your mouth after taking a blind chomp.

Such is the case for Retzlaff, as experts following the situation relay his dwindling list of destinations. Where once rumors of an established and competitive university was hot on his heels, interest has either cooled down drastically, or was never present in the first place. Of his likely options, any starting positions would require Retzlaff to step down from the P4 designation.

Per CBS, the quarterback's most likely landing spot is one of the following schools:

New Mexico
Liberty
Appalachian State
Tulane
South Alabama

And entering a team so late into the preseason is another challenge for a school to juggle, should they consider offering a spot to this wayward mercenary. BYU's Bear Bachmeier faces a similar struggle with the open quarterback position, as his late entry into the program puts him at a severe disadvantage in securing a starting role this season.

Maybe a P4 team would consider bringing Retzlaff on as a backup. A strong leader in the locker room. But Retzlaff leaving BYU after being informed he'd ride the bench communicates a desire to see the field for one last season, and not from the sidelines.

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