Tulane secured Jake Retzlaff out of the blue last year, when a scandal at BYU forced the quarterback to part ways with the school. He saved himself a lot of trouble and got to play in his final year of eligibility. Now, however, BYU seems to have ignored his honor code violations by having him back on campus.

Retzlaff was back on the BYU campus to participate in the program’s Pro Day, scheduled for March 20. It is a surprising development, because Retzlaff left the school after being handed a seven-game suspension for violating the school’s honor code. The QB was accused of sexual assault and battery from a 2023 incident at his apartment in Provo, Utah. The case was later dismissed with prejudice on June 30, 2025, after both parties reached a settlement. This was possible as the incident was later deemed consensual.

But being part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Cougars are very particular about conduct and enforce an eight-point honor code that students must follow to “live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman.” That’s why BYU punished Jake Retzlaff with that suspension. It would have effectively tanked his chances in the draft, since it was his senior year. 

The lawsuit complicated what would have been a brilliant career at BYU. In 2024, Retzlaff lit up the field with 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns. In terms of passing yards per passing attempt, Retzlaff ranked fifth out of 16 quarterbacks in the Big 12 with 348 yards. But BYU did not think twice before taking strict action against the quarterback. This happened when the spring portal had already closed, forcing Retzlaff to enroll at Tulane on July 21, 2025.

Because Retzlaff’s transfer occurred so late in the offseason and he was a few credits short of graduation, he could not enter the traditional NCAA transfer portal and instead joined the Green Wave as a walk-on. At the time, the Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who had previously recruited Retzlaff while at Troy, saw the veteran quarterback as the ideal solution to a depleted room following the transfer of Darian Mensah to Duke and the arrest of presumed replacement TJ Finley. Despite arriving just 38 days before the season opener, Retzlaff beat out several other transfers to be named the week-one starter.

Retzlaff’s 2025 performance at Tulane was a dual-threat masterclass, as he led the Green Wave to an 11–3 record and their first-ever College Football Playoff (CFP) appearance. He finished the season with 3,168 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions, while dramatically improving his completion percentage to a career-high 61.9%.

His rushing ability was particularly lethal as he set a Tulane single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 16. A feat highlighted by four rushing touchdowns by him in a game against Duke.

The season culminated in a dominant Conference Championship victory over North Texas, where Retzlaff overcame an injury designation to score two rushing touchdowns and get the win. Although Tulane’s season eventually ended with a 41–10 loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the CFP, Retzlaff still managed to throw for 306 yards in his final collegiate game.

The Green Wave has yet to announce a date for Pro Day, and the QB also missed out on an invite to the NFL Combine. With the draft being only a month away, Retzlaff might have sought out BYU for a chance to showcase his skills. Provo will be buzzing with NFL scouts, and it is a bigger stage than Tulane. He has the numbers and the skill, but he only needed an opportunity to pitch himself to the representatives. 

Jake Retzlaff feels a bigger push to prove himself to the NFL scouts

The former BYU and Tulane QB found himself in a tough situation after his final season. He registered a career-high total in passing yards, throwing for 3,168 yards in 2025, and his accuracy increased to 61.9%. Tulane was also featured in the playoffs. And yet, no draft expert had hopes of Retzlaff making the draft. He had no invite from the Combine, and there were no projections for him. However, Retzlaff is still looking forward to eventually joining the NFL.

“I was a junior college kid, so my entire career has literally just been proving people wrong over, over, and over again,” he told FOX Sports, after the Hula Bowl. “I’m just kind of getting the opportunity to do that over and over again. Like, I’m going to prove you wrong. Like you didn’t know how good I was? Let me show you how good I actually am. At the same time, nothing is going to discourage me at this point.

“I’m actually excited for this draft process to be over as fast as possible because I just want to get where I need to go and just go do my thing because that’s where I’m best.”

Retzlaff threw two touchdown passes during his segment of the Hula Bowl, one of them to his brother, Reggie. The QB was also named in the All-Hula Bowl Second Team by All Access Florida, for giving the “best overall performance” in the event. Jake Retzlaff clearly has enough talent for him to at least be talked about as an option. He only needs a chance.