It’s been a long offseason for Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff. The former BYU signal-caller served a seven-game honor code suspension after being tied to a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.
He transferred from BYU, and shortly after, the lawsuit was dismissed. Retzlaff landed at Tulane for the 2025 season. Despite an impressive debut in the Green Wave’s season opener, his past remains the primary topic of discussion among fans.
Jake Retzlaff Shines in Tulane Debut, but Fans Still Focus on Past
Retzlaff transferred to Tulane on July 18 after the university’s Title IX office and general counsel reviewed the civil lawsuit he had been involved in. With the case dismissed with prejudice, Retzlaff was entirely cleared of any wrongdoing and faces no further legal trouble.
Retzlaff was named Tulane’s starter and balled out in his season opener with the Green Wave on Saturday. He finished the game with 152 passing yards and one touchdown, while adding 113 yards on the ground, including a 69-yard touchdown run.
Roll Wave 🌊
Jake Retzlaff breaks off a 69-yard touchdown run! pic.twitter.com/h2ZMRfuCmO
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 30, 2025
However, despite being cleared of any wrongdoing and putting up an impressive debut, it still seems like all fans want to talk about is his civil lawsuit.
One person used Retzlaff’s 69-yard touchdown run as the basis of a joke, saying he’s been running from a lot of things recently.
He’s been running from everyone. Especially that ole gal’s dad, and responsibility.
— Jacob (@retraccj) August 30, 2025
“He’s been running from everyone. Especially that ole gal’s dad, and responsibility,” the fan said.
Another fan borrowed a classic line from Fox play-by-play commentator Gus Johnson to poke fun at Tulane’s new quarterback.
RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COPS SPEED
– Gus Johnson somewhere
— azureblades 🏆⭐⭐ (@axdambient) August 30, 2025
“Running away from the cops speed- Gus Johnson somewhere,” the fan posted.
One person decided to target the honor code suspension that Retzlaff was facing, saying, “He outran them like they were BYU’s honor code.”
While most people’s comments were negative, some were positive, with one person praising Retzlaff’s underrated rushing ability.
I keep saying it—Retzlaff’s a big dual threat! That rush TD proved it! @jretz11 #RollWave
— Randy Daniel (@NerdRandy) August 30, 2025
“I keep saying it–Retzlaff’s a big dual threat! That rush TD proved it!” the fan wrote.
Unfortunately, Retzlaff’s past seems to be following him to Tulane, especially considering the case was dismissed. Despite facing no legal trouble, it’s clear that fans aren’t forgetting all the drama that surrounded his name this offseason.
The good news for Retzlaff is that he gets to play and start for a strong Tulane team this season, which will be his final year of college football. At one point this offseason, that didn’t seem like a possibility, so the young quarterback has something to be happy about, even with all the outside noise.
Retzlaff and Tulane continue the 2025 season next Saturday, Sept. 6, against South Alabama.
