Tulane Football Reportedly Interested in Coveted Quarterback Jake Retzlaff
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The Tulane Green Wave football team is still searching for its future starting quarterback ahead of the 2025 college football season.
Head coach Jon Sumrall will conduct a quarterback competition that carries over into fall camp this year between Kadin Semonza, Donovan Leary and Brendan Sullivan.
Semonza and Leary competed alongside T.J. Finley in spring camp, who is no longer with the program.
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Sullivan was brought in to fill out the room and compete this fall.
Could another quarterback be joining the Green Wave?
Former BYU starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff announced that he will withdraw from the school and go through an intriguing process of joining a new team outside of the transfer portal.
"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 said in a statement. "BYU has meant more to me than just football. It's been a place of growth—spiritually, mentally, and physically. I'm grateful for every teammate, coach, staff member, and fan who's supported me along the way. The relationships and memories I've made in Provo will always be a part of me."
His departure is a result of a seven-game suspension at BYU after violating the school’s honor code prohibiting premarital sex.
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Retzlaff was accused of sexual assault in a civil suit in May that was dismissed on June 30, but he admitted to engaging in premarital sex throughout that process.
Ben Criddle, host of BYU Sports on Utah’s ESPN radio network, reported on Friday that Retzlaff will be withdrawing and will “walk on at his next school.”
He also revealed some schools that are interested in him.
Tulane is one of the programs interested in Retzlaff, and it is one of only two Group of 5 programs alongside UNLV.
The Power 4 schools include Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska and Stanford.
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Retzlaff completed 213 passes for 2,947 yards and threw 20 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in 2024 for the Cougars.
He also rushed 100 times for 417 yards and six rushing touchdowns in their 11-2 campaign.
Retzlaff would be the most experienced quarterback in the room, without question, if the Green Wave were able to land him.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com