Jake Retzlaff transferred from the predominant university for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to a school with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country. He can actually draw quite a few parallels between BYU and Tulane despite their difference of religion.
In fact, his time in Provo helped him to be even more proud of his faith.
One of the more unusual stories in recent college football history proved to be one of growth and self-reflection. It is a really cool perspective.
Jake Retzlaff transferred from BYU to Tulane.
Retzlaff was not allowed to play his senior year of high school football in California because of the pandemic. He did not receive a single Division-I scholarship offer as an unranked recruit.
As a result, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback started his collegiate career at Golden West College. Retzlaff transferred to Riverside City College and threw for 4,596 yards and 44 touchdowns as a sophomore, which led him to be ranked as the No. 1 junior college quarterback in the Class of 2023.
He ultimately landed at BYU and won the starting job in 2024. The Cougars went 11-2.
However, Retzlaff chose not to return to Provo for the fall after he was suspended multiple games for an Honor Code violation in the spring. That led him to Tulane.
The Green Wave made the College Football Playoff while its quarterback’s former school did not.
None of this would’ve happened without an academic setback in 2023. Jake Retzlaff never would’ve landed at BYU, which never would’ve led him to New Orleans.
His story serves as a great reminder to trust something greater than yourself. Some of the biggest disappointments in life often lead to the biggest triumphs!
Religion is not singular.
Jake Retzlaff is Jewish. BYU has only one or two (maybe three) Jewish students. 98% of the student population attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The quarterback was an outlier.
They called him BYJew. I prefer the nickname ‘Hucking Hebrew.’
Retzlaff chose to learn about the Mormon religion while enrolled at Brigham Young University. His introduction to a faith that is not his own made him even more proud of his own.
His experience with the LDS Church taught him to embrace who he is, which is something he discussed on the From The Logo podcast with Jimmer Fredette. He wears a Star of David proudly around his neck because of what he learned in Provo.
It is also very funny for Retzlaff to hear his teammates at Tulane complain about their religion classes. It has all come full circle.
Jake Retzlaff experience with religion classes have come full circle after transferring from BYU to Tulane#BYU #Utah #CollegeFootball #judaism #Tulane @jimmerfredette @Spencer_Linton pic.twitter.com/NYPXonvy2g
— From The Logo with Jimmer Fredette (@JimmerFTL) December 16, 2025
This is one of the most unique stories in recent college football history. A Jewish quarterback at BYU transferred to a school with one of the largest populations of Jewish students after an Honor Code violation. He is grateful for his time in Provo, not resentful. It helped to shape who he is today.