Former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has announced that he will be transferring to Tulane University in New Orleans to play football for this upcoming season, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Retzlaff was set to be suspended for seven games by BYU after he admitted to having pre-marital sexual intercourse – which violates the strict Honor Code put in place by the school run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormon church.
The quarterback admitted to having pre-marital sex while settling a lawsuit filed against him – accusing him of rape and strangulation. Retzlaff denies these claims and the lawsuit was dismissed.
Retzlaff is Jewish, not Mormon. However, all students sign and are expected to follow this Honor Code and punishments for breaking rules are harsh.
For Retzlaff, the school was set to suspend him for seven games due to his Honor Code violation – which would see him miss several high-profile games, including matchups against Colorado, West Virginia, Arizona, and the school’s biggest rivalry game against the University of Utah.
As a result of this impending ban, Retzlaff announced ten days ago that he’d be unenrolling from BYU and would search for a new school without entering the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff has committed to Tulane after un-enrolling from BYU ten days ago
Retzlaff (12) was accused of sexual assault, but the lawsuit was eventually dismissed
Retzlaff – who is Jewish, not Mormon – would’ve been suspended 7 games if he stayed at BYU after he admitting to violating the school’s Honor Code prohibiting him from pre-marital sex
After a lot of prayer, reflection, and conversations with those I trust, I’ve made the difficult decision to officially withdraw from BYU and step away from the BYU Football program,’ Retzlaff posted on his Instagram account at the time.
Eventually, he chose Tulane – a school in the American Athletic Conference which put up a record of 9-5 last season. The school does not have any religious affiliation.
According to Thamel, the school ‘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’.
Retzlaff has history with Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who tried recruiting him out of junior college to Troy University in Alabama where Sumrall was coaching at the time.
Last season, Retzlaff threw for 2,947 yards (32nd in the nation), 20 touchdowns (39th), and 12 interceptions (tied for fifth-worst in D-I football) while leading the Cougars to an 11-2 season. They beat Colorado 36-14 in the Valero Alamo Bowl, their final game of the year.
Retzlaff, a junior, is rumored to be dating BYU softball player Jaelynn Lambert, who is another California native. The quarterback has posted pictures of himself with the outfielder on Instagram.
The first Jewish quarterback in BYU history, Retzlaff previously signed a name, image and likeness deal (NIL) with one of the world’s top kosher brands, Manischewitz.
Details of the deal were not revealed, but Manischewitz released a commercial starring Retzlaff, who actually autographed some matzoh during the minute-long clip.