BYU QB Jake Retzlaff denies sexual assault allegations in response to civil lawsuit

SALT LAKE CITY– BYU Football quarterback Jake Retzlaff and his representation issued a response on June 27, 2025, to the allegations of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit that an anonymous woman filed on May 21, 2025.

It’s the first response from Retzlaff since the civil lawsuit was filed against him last month.

The alleged sexual assault, according to Jane Doe AG, occurred in November 2023.

KSL Sports & KSL NewsRadio obtained a copy of the response from Retzlaff’s attorneys.

What Retzlaff admitted, and what he denied

In the response, under First Defense, point one, Retzlaff “specifically and categorically denies each and every and all allegations that he bit, raped or strangled AG.”

Retzlaff did admit that the plaintiff AG initiated a text exchange with the BYU quarterback. He also admits that plaintiff AG “drove from the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City to Mr. Retzlaff’s apartment in Provo on the BYU campus, to play video games that evening and sleep over.”

In response to paragraph 4 of the Complaint, Retzlaff “specifically denies that there was any abusive or tortious conduct of any kind during their one evening togeter in November 2023, and further alleges that several of his teammates and a female friend of AG were present for a portion of the evening and the video games.”

Later in the response, Retzlaff states that Jane Doe AG asked her female friend “to leave so that he and AG could be together for the evening.”

“Fully consensual,” “very comfortable”

The response continued by stating, Retzlaff and “AG watched a movie together and started kissing and engaging in fully consensual foreplay, and that the plaintiff AG was excited, interested and very comfortable with the fully consensual sexual interaction between the two of them throughout the entire evening.”

Retzlaff’s defense added that Retzlaff admits that Jane AG reached out to him via social media/text to “initiate interaction between herself and Mr. Retzlaff on or about October 2023.”

They also state that “after their pleasant evening together in November 2023, the Plaintiff AG continued to interact with Mr. Retzlaff with fun and lighthearted text exchanges, concerning the rivalry between Utah football and BYU football.”

Retzlaff text exchange with plaintiff

They provided a text exchange during January and February 2024.

• Jan. 30, 2024, from AG to Retzlaff: “We (referring to Utah) will win. Trust.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “Sure whatever you say.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “I’ll bet on it. Ha ha ha.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “What exactly would you bet.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “What are you thinking.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “idk, you tell me.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “no u pick.”
• Jan. 30, 2024, Retzlaff response to Retzlaff: “It was ur idea.”
• Jan. 31, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “why can’t u just decide.”

According to the response, the text thread continued on January 31 with a follow-up from AG, “due to no response from Retzlaff.”

• Jan. 31, 2024, AG to Retzlaff: “who cares we will win.”
• Jan. 31, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “Don’t seem so confident.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “ur coming off a losing streak.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “Not against Utah.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “wrong we beat you more.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “We beat you last.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “We? You were still in Cali[fornia].”
• Feb. 1, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “And you act like you were there the last 100 games.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, AG response to Retzlaff: “I was.”
• Feb. 1, 2024, Retzlaff response to AG: “Oh my bad (heart meme).”

The response from Retzlaff’s attorneys also states that the woman suing him only started to ask for money after Retzlaff’s name started to be mentioned as an NFL draft prospect, more than a year after the sleepover in November 2023.

Last season, BYU football finished with an 11-2 record, with Retzlaff starting in all 13 games for the Cougars.

Silence during the season

The response states that Retzlaff and Jane Doe AG “had no contact, not even by text, everything was silent” during BYU’s 2024 season.

Later the response adds, “shortly after BYU’s bowl game win against Colorado, the plaintiff AG hired a Salt Lake City lawyer and made her first ever claim of rape linked to a large monetary demand from Mr. Retzlaff.”

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.

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