College football Power Four title picks and top Group of Five contender
Before the Snap looks at who’s poised to win the Power Four leagues and which Group of Five program could emerge as the top contender.
Tulane football has been one of the top non-power programs all season, and is one win away from securing its spot in the College Football Playoff.
A contributing reason to the Green Wave’s success this season has been former BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff.
The junior playmaker has found success in Jon Sumrall’s program by picking up where his predecessor, Darian Mensah, left off, posting 2,717 passing yards while leading Tulane to its third season of at least 10 wins in the last four years.
Retzlaff will now look to out-perform one of the top Group of Five quarterbacks in the country — North Texas’ Drew Mestemaker — in the American Conference championship game, which is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 5 inside Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
Here’s what to know on Retzlaff ahead of the American championship game:
Who is Jake Retzlaff?
Retzlaff is in his first season serving as the starting quarterback at Tulane.
The 6-foot-1 dual-threat quarterback began his collegiate career at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. He then transferred to Riverside City College, which competes at the Junior college level, before transferring to BYU ahead of the 2023 season.
In 2023, he started the last four games of the season for the Cougars, throwing for 648 yards and three touchdowns while maintaining his redshirt. He spent the 2024 season as the starting quarterback at BYU, throwing for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns to 12 interceptions while recording six rushing touchdowns. He led the Cougars to an 11-2 record.
He transferred to Tulane ahead of the 2025 season. Through 12 games, he has completed 209 of 334 passes for 2,717 yards and 14 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also has rushed 103 times for 561 yards and 14 touchdowns. His 14 scores on the ground make him the fourth different Tulane player to record at least 14 rushing touchdowns in a season, with the others being along with Matt Forte, Tyjae Spears and Makhi Hughes.
Why did Jake Retzlaff transfer from BYU to Tulane?
As previously reported by USA TODAY, Retzlaff faced a civil lawsuit that accused him of sexually assaulting and raping a Salt Lake County woman in November 2023. The lawsuit involving Retzlaff was dismissed on June 30 after “the two sides agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice.”
BYU found Retzlaff to have violated its honor code by engaging in premarital sex. BYU is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has an honor code that states students must “live a chaste and virtuous life,” which includes “abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman.”
Instead of facing a likely seven-game suspension as a result of violating the honor code, Retzlaff opted instead to transfer from BYU. The Cougars did not approve his request to enter the portal, according to reports, causing him to withdraw and re-enroll at Tulane.
He enrolled at Tulane in July after the Green Wave did extensive background research on Retzlaff.
Jake Retzlaff stats
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Retzlaff’s stats at BYU and Tulane:
- 2023 (BYU): 63 of 125 (50.4%) passing for 648 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions; 116 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 51 carries
- 2024 (BYU): 213 of 368 (57.9%) passing for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions; 417 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on 100 carries
- 2025 (Tulane): 209 of 334 (62.9%) passing for 2,717 yards and 14 touchdowns; 561 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 103 carries
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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
