What Tulane's Jon Sumrall said about adding BYU QB Jake Retzlaff, Memphis football rivalry

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The college football season is only about a month away, but Tulane's roster got a major addition earlier this week.

Star BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff enrolled at Tulane after coach Jon Sumrall said the Green Wave did their "due diligence" on him. Sumrall said at American Conference media days that Retzlaff hasn't been promised a starting role, adding that he doesn't know if Retzlaff will be ready for Tulane's Week 1 game against Northwestern.

Retzlaff joined the Green Wave after leaving BYU, where he was facing a seven-game suspension for violating the school's honor code, which bans premarital sex. Retzlaff had been accused in a lawsuit in May of raping a woman in 2023. Retzlaff denied the allegation and the lawsuit was dismissed on June 30, with the parties jointly agreeing to dismiss with prejudice.

"The civil stuff was all dismissed," Sumrall said. "After the honor code stuff at BYU that they have was going to result in a suspension of some games, then there was some contact when he decided to withdraw from BYU between his agent and myself."

Retzlaff was a breakout star in 2024, leading the Cougars to an 11-2 record. With Retzlaff under center, Tulane is the most popular pick to win the American Conference in 2025.

What Jon Sumrall said about Memphis rivalry

Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield made waves last December with comments about Tulane several weeks after the Tigers won 34-24 in the regular season finale.

“I have zero care for them," Silverfield said at the time. "I hope they lose every game from here on out.”

Sumrall said he hadn't seen the comments.

"They're a really good football team," Sumrall said. "Memphis invests as much as anybody in our league into facilities and rosters and those sort of things. They're a team that I think has pushed the envelope to be really good. It's a big game. They're all big games."

"I think there's a natural, if you want to call it rivalry, whatever. I don't know about Ryan's comments. I don't listen to whether people say that much. So I don't care if anybody wins or loses their games other than us."

Memphis and Tulane will meet at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Nov. 7.

What Jon Sumrall said about conference realignment

Earlier this week, the Big 12 rejected a reported $200 million offer from Memphis to join the conference. It was the latest instance where Memphis tried to leave the American for another conference, but other schools — like Tulane — have been targeted by other conferences as well.

Sumrall said he focuses on coaching his team but obviously sees the discussions and is involved with them when they have to do with the Green Wave.

"I like our league," Sumrall said. "I know this: I'd much rather be a have in our league than go into a league and be a have-not. Because good luck trying to win if you're a have-not."

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.