Northwestern's First Opponent Unlikely to Start Former Wildcat QB After Transfer

Tulane has a crowded quarterback room headed into the season.

Oct 28, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Brendan Sullivan (6) looks to pass against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Quarterback Brendan Sullivan played in 13 games for Northwestern across the 2022 and 2023 seasons before spending last year with the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was a backup in Iowa City to start the season, but he was starting by the end of the year.

This offseason, Sullivan entered the portal once again, heading south to Tulane. The Green Wave are Northwestern's first opponent this season, so a rematch between the signal-caller and his former team is theoretically possible.

The problem is, Sullivan has to win the starting job first, and that's looking less and less likely. Already in the room were former Illinois transfer Donovan Leary and Ball State's Kadin Semonza. But today, BYU's Jake Retzlaff announced his decision to transfer into the program, according to On3 via X.

NEWS: Former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has committed to walk-on at Tulane, @PeteNakos_ reports🌊https://t.co/EOjcJUP9tB pic.twitter.com/k69TUw1XWF

— On3 (@On3sports) July 21, 2025

This makes for a crowded quarterback competition, and Retzlaff figures to have the upper-hand. In 2024, he finished with 2,947 yards and 20 touchdown passes to 12 picks. He had a little difficulty taking care of the football, but those numbers far eclipse anything Sullivan has posted in his career to date.

With the 'Cats in 2023, Sullivan finished with 714 yards and six touchdowns to two interceptions. With Iowa last season, he threw for just 475 yards in ten games.

While he's struggled throughout his career in the passing game, Sullivan is a threat on the run, accumulating 407 rushing yards in his career. The problem is that Retzlaff finished with 417 rushing yards last season alone.

All this is to say, Sullivan is going to need to really impress coaches in camp to get the starting job now. What was already a battle has turned into a bit of a David vs. Goliath scenario.

Regardless of who is at the helm of Tulane's offense, it will be a crucial first game down in New Orleans for the Wildcats. In the quest for six wins as a Big Ten team, finding a way to win nonconference games is always important. The Green Wave are Northwestern's hardest test this season in that category.