The Tulane Green Wave will have a new starting quarterback next season as Jake Retzlaff heads to pre-draft showcases.
The Tulane Green Wave had a poor showing on offense against the Ole Miss Rebels in the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff went 20-of-35 for 306 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his final appearance for the Green Wave. However, it’s more than likely if not near guaranteed that Tulane doesn’t make it to a historic CFP berth with wins over Northwestern, Duke, Memphis, and North Texas in the American Conference Championship without Retzlaff. It was an incredible story in college football where Retzlaff walked on to campus a week before training camp and led his team to the CFP.
Now, Retzlaff will try to test the waters in the 2026 NFL draft, which begins now with the pre-draft showcases ahead of the NFL Combine. On Tuesday, it was announced that Retzlaff accepted his invitation to the 2026 Hula Bowl, per the organization.
Retzlaff became a Green Wave after he was suspended for seven games by the BYU Cougars in his final year of eligibility for violating the school’s honor code regarding pre-marital sex. An important relationship that former head coach Jon Sumrall came in handy – Sumrall heavily recruited Retzlaff to the Troy Trojans when he was their coach. In fact, he was the only FBS coach to offer Retzlaff out of junior college before the Cougars swooped in late.
But when he needed a home for his final season, it quickly became Tulane. In his one season with the Green Wave, Retzlaff completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,168 yards and 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Where he did most of his damage was on the ground. Retzlaff led the team with 634 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, setting multiple program records. His 16 scores on the ground set a new school record at quarterback. Retzlaff was the first non-running back to lead the school in rushing since 2019. His 3,168 passing yards were also third-all time in a single season.
Retzlaff was honored seven times by the American Conference this season in their weekly awards. His leadership made a massive difference – as did his performance – in the team’s critical win at Memphis that set up their CFP run after losing to the UTSA Roadrunners, largely thanks to his performance.
The Hula Bowl separates itself as a premier College Football All-Star Game because it is Seniors only. The Senior Bowl, ironically enough, now allows juniors to participate in their showcase. The Hula Bowl will have top scouts from all NFL, UFL, and CFL teams, with players having the opportunity for critical one-on-one interviews with teams.