HC Jon Sumrall Still Not Giving Jake Retzlaff the QB1 Role, Despite Tulane’s Big Announcement

Tulane’s Week 1 statement was emphatic. The Green Wave throttled Northwestern 23-3, piling up 420 total yards and forcing five turnovers while never allowing the Wildcats inside the red zone. Jon Sumrall’s defense, criticized last year for surrendering chunk plays, held Northwestern to 3.8 yards per snap and just 78 rushing yards on 27 attempts. That dominance set a raucous Yulman Stadium crowd at ease; even when drives stalled (Tulane settled for three Patrick Durkin field goals), the outcome felt secure from the opening series.

Much of the optimism centered on late-arriving quarterback Jake Retzlaff. The BYU transfer didn’t enroll until July, yet earned the start and delivered a poised debut: 18-for-31 passing, 152 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, plus 113 rushing yards on ten keepers, including a 69-yard option burst that flipped field position minutes before halftime. His ability to command tempo after only six weeks in the scheme impressed teammates and coaches alike; CBS Sports noted that Retzlaff “took virtually every first-team rep from mid-camp on and never relinquished them”.

Still, the job is officially open. “No changes for Tulane’s depth chart this week,” reporter Jon Sokoloff tweeted Monday. “Still says Jake Retzlaff or Brendan Sullivan at QB. Green Wave will visit South Alabama on Saturday.” That lingering “OR” is evidence of Sumrall’s insistence on meritocracy. Retzlaff may have won the opener, but Sullivan, the Northwestern graduate who entered fall camp as the presumed front-runner, remains one good week away from reclaiming snaps.

Sumrall’s stance tracks with his July explanation of the late portal addition. “The best man’s going to win the job. Nobody’s promised anything,” he told On3 when discussing Retzlaff’s arrival. He added that the staff graded every practice “like a game” and would reevaluate weekly once the season began. True to his word, Sumrall maintained on Tuesday that if Sullivan’s ankle responds, Tulane could deploy a two-quarterback look at South Alabama, citing situational packages and an interest in keeping defenses honest.

That decision looms large in a brutal September. After Saturday’s trip to Mobile, the Green Wave hosts an experienced Duke squad and then visits Ole Miss, whose tempo offense annually stresses depth on the back end. A cross-country swing to Tulsa closes the month before conference play intensifies with East Carolina, Army, and a Halloween-eve date at UTSA. Tulane’s defense already looks conference-winning caliber; whether the offense can keep stride may hinge on how quickly Sumrall settles the Retzlaff-Sullivan question, because in a schedule this unforgiving, uncertainty under center is a luxury few contenders survive.

Honor roll, but no handshake

Jake Retzlaff’s Tulane career could not have started much brighter: the American Athletic Conference placed him on its Week 1 Honor Roll after he accounted for 265 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-3 rout of Northwestern. Yet two days later, head coach Jon Sumrall kept the depth chart exactly as it was before kickoff, “Jake Retzlaff or Brendan Sullivan,” refusing to grant the BYU transfer an outright claim to QB1.

Sumrall’s reasoning is blunt. Asked Tuesday whether Retzlaff’s accolade alters the calculus, he replied, “If he’s [Sullivan] healthy, I think both guys will play Saturday. I really do.” The coach’s words echo his July stance that every practice rep is graded and “nobody’s promised anything.” Sullivan, who missed the opener with an ankle sprain, took limited reps this week; if he’s cleared, Tulane could rotate the series in Mobile, a scenario that keeps competitive tension high but risks disrupting the rhythm Retzlaff displayed in Week 1.

For Retzlaff, the message is equal parts compliment and challenge. An honor roll nod confirms that league coaches noticed his dual-threat spark. But the lingering “or” on the depth chart still shows that one strong Saturday hasn’t erased Sullivan’s standing or Sumrall’s preference for meritocracy. The Green Wave visits a South Alabama defense, and how Sumrall balances snaps against the Jaguars may reveal whether Tulane is nurturing a true competition or merely protecting depth. Either way, September’s looming tests, Duke, at Ole Miss, at Tulsa, will demand a settled hand sooner than later.