Jake Retzlaff Will Start At QB For BYU Football Against SIU
Aug 31, 2024, 4:56 PM | Updated: 5:01 pm
BYU football will start Jake Retzlaff at quarterback against Southern Illinois to open the 2024 season. (Courtesy of BYU Photo)
(Courtesy of BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – BYU Football has named Jake Retzlaff their starting quarterback to open the 2024 season.
Retzlaff will get the first snap when BYU takes on Southern Illinois on August 31 in Provo. Kalani Sitake told Greg Wrubell during the BYU Sports Network pregame on KSL NewsRadio.
Jake Retzlaff leads #BYU into LaVell Edwards Stadium.#BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/VREGiLV0uQ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 31, 2024
BYU officially announced Retzlaff as the starter entering Saturday’s game. Retzlaff beat out Baylor/USF transfer Gerry Bohanon for the starting job.
Earlier this week, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said that a quarterback was a “clear-cut” starter.
The former Junior college recruit led BYU into LaVell Edwards Stadium at the Cougar Walk.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect enters his second season with the Cougar football program.
Retzlaff closed fall camp on a high note. During the final three media observation periods, Retzlaff was accurate on his passes and displayed
Last year, Jake Retzlaff started in four games in relief of an injured Kedon Slovis. He was 0-4 in those games against Big 12 opponents, including two losses against ranked foes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Retzlaff has two years of eligibility remaining, as he will be a redshirt junior this fall.
Last season, Retzlaff passed for 648 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He had a completion rate of 50.4%. Retzlaff, a dual-threat prospect, also rushed for 116 yards last season.
“It’s a world of difference. Anybody who’s played this position knows that the more years you get in an offense, the more you know and the further along you’ll be,” said Retzlaff to open fall camp practices. “I think I took a huge step from a year ago to today. There’s definitely big improvements in my game, especially within this offense.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.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.
