Jake Retzlaff left BYU in 2023 amid controversy but has rebounded at Tulane. With starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan injured and coach Jon Sumrall needing stability at the position, Retzlaff’s strong training camp performance might position him to lead the Green Wave this season.
Based on Tulane’s fall practices, Sullivan was making the most impact. “I hate it for him because he’s had a great training camp to this point, playing at a really high level, but it’s the right thing to do in shutting him down and giving him this time,” Sumrall said. Now that he’s out of the race for a few weeks. It’s Kadin Semonza and Jake Retzlaff’s turn to take up the reins. But Retzlaff’s making an early impact. “The former BYU quarterback delivered in the Greenway second scrimmage; he took a majority of the first-team reps, was four for four, and led a touchdown drive to start things off,” WGNOtv’s Jon Sokoloff said.
Sullivan injured his ankle and got a bone bruise during practice, so he can’t play in Saturday’s scrimmage. Coach Jon Sumrall said it could have been worse and Sullivan won’t need surgery, but there’s no timeline for his return. Sullivan will watch the scrimmage from the booth at least for the next 1-2 weeks
Well, this development highlights the opportunity for Jake Retzlaff, the quarterback who led BYU to an 11 win season in 2024, throwing for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns. Now at Tulane, Retzlaff quickly showed his capabilities, displaying composure despite joining the team a couple of weekss ago. His only misstep, a fumbled snap, turned into a positive play as he handed off, avoiding a turnover. In another crucial moment, he completed an 11-yard pass to Maurice Turner on a third-and-18 play.
Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff took advantage of a big opportunity today in the second scrimmage.
He was 4/4, led a TD drive to start it off, & looked sharp.
Full recap from Saturday, plus why Sumrall is confident in Retzlaff if he starts Week 1:
More: https://t.co/ehCV6BphKp pic.twitter.com/xFFSNRDhxl
— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) August 16, 2025
Now, that quick turnaround is the result of Tulane’s offensive mastermind, Alex Craddock’s who made this transition easy for him. “This offense is pretty awesome,” Retzlaff said. “The way coach Craddock can build so many things into one play call, there’s a lot of times at the line of scrimmage where there’s only one play called, and I can get to three to four different plays.” Looks like Retzlaff is up to the task. And there is a good chance that he might be the starter in week 1 against Northwestern.
Kadin Semonza struggled after the starting offensive line left the game, taking three sacks and missing some throws, lacking any real flow until late. He did show flashes in a two-minute drill, connecting on a 34-yard pass to Johnny Piscuzzi to set up a touchdown. On top of that, Donovan Leary, the fourth-string QB, had a perfect performance, completing all four of his passes for 33 yards, finishing with a short touchdown pass to Arnold Barnes.
Now, with offense, even Tulane’s defense is making noise.
Jon Sumrall’s defense makes a big impact
Tulane’s defense performed much better in its second fall scrimmage. While their first scrimmage had some good moments mixed with errors, the team looked more focused and disciplined this time around. With 60 new players on the roster, the coaching staff has been working hard during camp to bring everyone together, and Saturday’s scrimmage demonstrated that their efforts are starting to show results.
This week’s bounce-back effort from this weekend impressed Jon Sumrall. “They got some pride, and they got some of their b-tt kicked early last week. For me, I’m glad to see them respond,” Sumrall said. He said the offense will be key in some games, yet noted the defense’s strength when called upon. “I was excited to see them bounce back.”
Up front, Tulane’s depth was an advantage, particularly against the run. Even though they gave up two rushing touchdowns, the defensive line set the pace when the starters were in, forcing the offense to adapt. Important players like Shadre Hurst had limited playing time, but the Green Wave controlled the outside and closed running lanes with more intensity than in their first scrimmage.
Now, LB Sam Howard’s early drive tackle for loss against Retzlaff was the day’s best, firing up the team. Even defensive lineman Santana Hooper praised the progress while keeping a focus on consistency. “As long as we’re stacking days and getting better, I feel like we’re gaining something,” Hooper said. He emphasized a fast start, citing the Northwestern game as a key challenge.
With a QB1 decision hanging on a thin thread and a strong defense, Tulane might finally turn its fate this season.
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