BYU appears to be losing its starting quarterback with just two months until the 2025-26 college football season is set to get underway.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, QB Jake Retzlaff is planning to transfer out from the university based in Provo, Utah, and "has begun informing the staff and players of his plan to leave."
No official reason has been given, but Retzlaff was facing an Honor Code suspension connected to a civil suit in which a woman alleges he raped her. That litigation is still ongoing, but Retzlaff has denied the woman's claims.
"Mr. Retzlaff specifically and categorically denies each and every and all allegations that he bit, raped or strangled [the woman], which are ridiculous and bizarre allegations, all of which are false and untrue," his lawyer wrote in a court filing responding to the lawsuit on Friday (h/t ESPN's Kyle Bonagura).
BYU QB Jake Retzlaff plans to transfer out of program amid lawsuit
"Jane Doe A.G." accuses Retzlaff of raping and choking her in an encounter at his apartment in November 2023. According to her account, she went to the hospital a few days after the incident, where pictures of her injuries were taken and she filed a report with Provo police. She had withheld Retzlaff's name at that time.
Retzlaff claims the sex was consensual, but even that admission constitutes a breach of BYU's Honor Code, which is based on the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
According to the university's website, students are required to "live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman." Punishment for honor code violations can range from a warning to expulsion but a specific punishment for premarital sex is not stipulated.
"The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment," the school said in a statement obtained by ESPN.
A potential suspension for Retzlaff would have presumably kept him from participating in the upcoming football season. The spring NCAA transfer portal closed on April 25, so it is unclear if he would be eligible to play for another program should he land somewhere ahead of Week 1 in late August.
Retzlaff posted 2,947 passing yards and was responsible for 26 touchdowns last season for the Cougars. He was poised to lead the team in pursuing the Big 12 title this upcoming season after coming up short in 2024.