Quarterback Jake Retzlaff to withdraw from BYU after fallout from civil lawsuit
Jul 11, 2025, 2:57 PM | Updated: 10:08 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Quarterback Jake Retzlaff plans to withdraw from BYU after fallout from a civil lawsuit.
Pete Thamel first reported the news, but Retzlaff confirmed on Instagram. The decision comes after he was accused of sexual assault by an anonymous woman in a civil lawsuit.
According to Thamel, Retzlaff still plans to transfer but he will take that path without the NCAA’s official Transfer Portal.
“He still plans on transferring and is expected to take a transfer path tha
Jake Retzlaff shares message about leaving BYU
Shortly after Thamel reported the news, Retzlaff shared the following message on Instagram.
Jake Retzlaff speaks.
Moments ago on IG. pic.twitter.com/VTiXVA5eom
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) July 11, 2025
“After a lot of prayer, reflection, and conversations with those I trust, I’ve made the difficult decision to officially withdraw from BYU and step away from the BYU Football program,” the statement began. “BYU has meant more to me than just football. It’s been a place of growth – spiritually, mentally, and physically. I’m grateful for every teammate, coach, staff member, and fan who’s supported me along the way. The relationships and memories I’ve made in Provo will always be a part of me.”
“That said, I’m excited to turn the page and embrace the next chapter. My journey is far from over – and I’m more motivated than ever to keep chasing my goals.,” Retzlaff finished.
Civil Lawsuit accusing Jake Retzlaff of sexual assault dismissed
Attorneys for both Retzlaff and the unnamed woman known as Jane Doe A.G. filed a joint motion to dismiss with prejudice the case on Monday, June 30, 2025, in Utah’s Third District Court.
Judge Coral Sanchez officially dismissed the case at 9:57 a.m. (MDT) on Monday.
This joint motion to dismiss comes two days after Retzlaff and his defense filed a response to the allegations made by the unnamed woman on May 21, 2025. Retzlaff denied all allegations of rape.
BYU official comment on lawsuit
When the lawsuit was first filed, officials from BYU provided the following statement.
“BYU became aware today that a civil lawsuit involving Jake Retzlaff had been filed this morning. 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.”
In addition to the official statement from BYU, Athletics Director Brian Santiago and head football coach Kalani Sitake provided additional comments to KSL Sports at the Big 12’s annual spring meetings.
“It’s a fair question. It’s a private matter. The University made a statement, and Jake and his attorney have both released statements.
“Our responsibility is to care for our student-athletes. Certainly, it’s a tough situation. It’d be ignorant not to say it’s a tough situation, but it’s a private matter that’s going to be handled privately.
“We just found out about it when others found out about it, and so we want to respect the privacy of Jake. We want to respect the privacy of the university. We want to respect the privacy of those involved as the matter gets worked out, and have full confidence that the right thing will happen moving forward,” Santiago said in response to a question from KSL Sports.
Jake Retzlaff’s BYU Football career
Before the civil lawsuit was filed in May, Retzlaff, the redshirt senior signal caller from Corona, California, was BYU’s clear-cut leader at the quarterback position exiting spring practices this past March.
Last season, Retzlaff was the starting quarterback in all 13 games during BYU’s 11-2 season that was capped off by a win over Colorado in the 2024 Alamo Bowl.
Retzlaff, a former Junior College transfer, has spent the past two seasons at BYU. In 2023, he appeared in four games, all of which were starts, while counting that year as a redshirt season.
Before his time at BYU, he was a junior college prospect at Golden West College, later transferring to Riverside City College, where he emerged as the No. 1 JUCO quarterback in the country for the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Retzlaff graduated from Brigham Young University in April, majoring in Exercise and Wellness.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go.
