Jake Retzlaff’s time at BYU appears to be over.
The Cougars’ starting quarterback a season ago is expected to transfer out of the program rather than face a multigame suspension for breaking BYU’s Honor Code.
Retzlaff’s decision comes as the civil lawsuit against him has been resolved. In May, a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe A.G., alleged that Retzlaff sexually assaulted her at his Provo home in November 2023.
The quarterback denied the sexual assault allegations in his legal response, but said that he had “consensual” sex with the woman. As of Monday, the case has been dismissed, but Retzlaff’s admission to having sex was also an admission to a violation of BYU’s Honor Code.
Here’s what you need to know about Retzlaff’s time in Provo and the allegations that ultimately led to his departure.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU qua,rterbacks Jake Retzlaff (12) and Treyson Bourguet (10), during the Cougars spring practice, on Thursday, Feb 27, 2025.
January 2023: Retzlaff arrives in Provo
The Corona, Calif., began his college career at Riverside Community College in the JUCO ranks. There he finished with 4,596 passing yards, 44 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
He was the No. 1-ranked junior college quarterback in the country when he committed to BYU. Retzlaff officially announced his choice on Jan. 9, 2023, choosing the Cougars over offers from Hawaii, UTEP and New Mexico State.
2023 season: From the sidelines to the starting job
In his first season with BYU, Retzlaff was the backup to quarterback Kedon Slovis, who transferred from Pitt in 2023.
Retzlaff earned his first start for the Cougars on Nov. 4, 2023, against West Virginia. He remained as the program’s starter for the final four games of the season — all of which were losses — and he finished with 648 passing yards, six overall touchdowns and three interceptions.
November 2023: Retzlaff and Jane Doe A.G.
Jane Doe A.G. alleged in the now-dismissed lawsuit that Retzlaff assaulted her in November 2023 after they both connected on social media and were messaging each other a month before.
Jane Doe A.G. and a friend had gone to Retzlaff’s home on Nov. 22, 2023, to hang out, and the woman stayed at the home after her friend left. She then watched a movie with the quarterback in his room, the lawsuit said.
They began kissing, but Jane Doe A.G. alleged that she told Retzlaff that she “did not want to do anything more.”
Retzlaff continued “escalating the situation,” the lawsuit alleged, when he attempted to touch her sexually and asked Jane Doe A.G. to give him oral sex.
From that point on, according to the lawsuit, Retzlaff began forcefully kissing her and touching her. The woman said she told Retzlaff “stop,” but alleged in the lawsuit that he did not stop and had sex with her.
Retzlaff has denied the allegations, saying that his actions were part of a “normal evening of consensual sexual interaction.”
The woman said in her lawsuit that she later went to a hospital for a rape kit exam and spoke with police. She said she withheld Retzlaff’s name from the report. Police later said they examined the evidence in the case, but said it “revealed no actionable investigative leads.”
January and February 2024: Text exchanges
In his response to Jane Doe A.G.’s claims, Retzlaff said that he stayed in contact with the woman for several weeks after their November meeting, exchanging text messages about the BYU-Utah rivalry in January and February 2024.
In the lawsuit, Retzlaff’s attorneys alleged the quarterback did not hear from Jane Doe A.G. during the 2024 season.
August 2023: Retzlaff named BYU’s starter
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) runs the ball for a touchdown during the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Provo on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.
After starting in four games for BYU in 2023, Retzlaff won the starting job over Baylor transfer quarterback Gerry Bohanon, leading the Cougars to a strong start to the 2024 season with key wins over Kansas State and SMU.
QB earns national acclaim
By the middle of the 2024 season, Retzlaff began to make national headlines with marquee game-winning drives against Oklahoma State and in-state rival Utah.
The then-redshirt junior quarterback also gained acclaim off the field for being the first Jewish starting quarterback for the Cougars, a school that is operated and owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
December 2024: Alamo Bowl victory
Retzlaff and BYU missed the 2024 College Football Playoff after finishing third in the Big 12 with a 10-2 record in 2024.
Their performance landed them in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, however, where Retzlaff led the Cougars to a marquee victory over Colorado and its head coach Deion Sanders.
May 21, 2025: Lawsuit filed
Nearly five months after BYU’s Alamo Bowl victory, Jane Doe A.G. filed her civil lawsuit on May 21.
Retzlaff’s attorney, Mark Baute, responded in a statement saying that the former BYU quarterback was “factually innocent.”
“Jake’s focus this year will be on football,” Baute added. “We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system.”
June 27, 2025: Retzlaff files response
A month after Jane Doe A.G. filed her civil suit accusing Retzlaff of sex assault, he filed an official rebuttal to the claims on June 27.
In the response, Retzlaff said that he had “consensual sex” with the woman who filed a civil lawsuit and denied her sexual assault allegations against him.
He also asserted that — based only on unspecified “information and belief” — that Jane Doe AG may have been reporting an unspecified University of Utah athlete to police.
June 29, 2025: Sources say Retzlaff plans to leave
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) as BYU hosts Southern Illinois, NCAA football in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
Two days after filing his response to the sexual assault allegations, sources informed The Salt Lake Tribune of Retzlaff’s intention to leave the program.
Anticipating a seven-game suspension for violating the school’s Honor Code for premarital sexual intercourse, the quarterback planned to enter the transfer portal in search of opportunities elsewhere.
June 30, 2025: Case dismissed
On Monday morning, attorneys for Retzlaff and Jane Doe A.G. filed a joint motion for dismissal. The order was signed by 3rd District Judge Coral Sanchez shortly before 10 a.m.
The documents say the two sides agree to the dismissal “upon the merits” of the woman’s lawsuit against Retzlaff. Each side will pay its own legal fees. The document includes no other details.
