Football’s Jake Retzlaff Named to Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 List
Nov 10, 2025 | Football
FORT WORTH, TX – The Tulane football team's redshirt senior quarterback Jake Retzlaff was named to the Davey O'Brien Award's Great 8 List on Monday following the 11th week of action.
Retzlaff accounted for four touchdowns as the Green Wave took down then No. 22 nationally ranked Memphis on the road, 38-32. He went 16-for-23 for 332 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while adding 56 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Two touchdown passes went for over 50 yards. Retzlaff helped the offense average 8.2 yards per play in the win.
The other quarterbacks named to the Great 8 List this week include Micah Alejado (Hawai'i), Byrum Brown (USF), Joe Fagano (UConn), Jayden Maiava (USC), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal)
This is the second time this season that Retzlaff has been named to the Great 8 List on Sept. 15 following the victory over Duke.
All quarterbacks named to the weekly Great 8 List are now on the official Davey O'Brien Award Midseason Watch List.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, selected from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Over its time, the Davey O'Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O'Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
__________________________
The Tulane football team (7-2, 4-1 American) has started the 2025 season with seven wins in the first nine games including a pair of wins over Power 4 opponents in the regular season for the first time since 1988. The victory over Memphis makes Tulane 4-1 in conference play for the fourth time in school history (2025, 2013, 1997, and 1948). This is only the fifth time the school has won four or more American games since joining the conference in 2014 although it is the fourth straight year for the program.
The program ranks fourth in the league this season in interceptions (7) and is tops in net punting (41.88). Patrick Durkin is the American Conference's leader in both field goals a game (1.67) and field goal percentage (93.8). Alec Clark leads the conference with his average of 47.2 yards per punt. Retzlaff is placed fourth in the league in rushing touchdowns (10) and is 10th in rushing yards (556). He is also leads the league in passing yards per completion (13.38). Javion White is second in the conference and is placed 21st nationally in interceptions (3).
Tulane ended the 2024 season playing in the program's third consecutive bowl game. It was also the sixth time in the last seven years that Tulane had been selected to play in a bowl game (2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 – Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl). Overall, it was Tulane's 17th bowl appearance (1932 – Rose Bowl, 1935 – Sugar Bowl, 1939 – Sugar Bowl, 1970 – Liberty Bowl, 1973 – Astro Bluebonnet Bowl, 1979 – Liberty Bowl, 1980 – Hall of Fame Bowl, 1987 – Independence Bowl, 1998 – Liberty Bowl, 2002 – Hawaii Bowl, 2013 – New Orleans, 2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 -Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl) with the program sporting an all-time record of 7-10 in bowl games. Tulane also made the team's third straight American Championship Game appearance in 2024.
The program sports a 39-12 record over the last four seasons.
Head Coach Jon Sumrall has been one of the most successful coaches in the country over the last four seasons with a record of 39-11, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returned to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
Next, the Tulane football team returns home to face off against Florida Atlantic at 3 p.m. on Nov. 15 at Yulman Stadium.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football and the men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
Retzlaff accounted for four touchdowns as the Green Wave took down then No. 22 nationally ranked Memphis on the road, 38-32. He went 16-for-23 for 332 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while adding 56 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Two touchdown passes went for over 50 yards. Retzlaff helped the offense average 8.2 yards per play in the win.
The other quarterbacks named to the Great 8 List this week include Micah Alejado (Hawai'i), Byrum Brown (USF), Joe Fagano (UConn), Jayden Maiava (USC), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal)
This is the second time this season that Retzlaff has been named to the Great 8 List on Sept. 15 following the victory over Duke.
All quarterbacks named to the weekly Great 8 List are now on the official Davey O'Brien Award Midseason Watch List.
The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week, selected from the Great 8 list, will be revealed Tuesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
The Davey O'Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Over its time, the Davey O'Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.
In 1938, O'Brien, who wore No. 8 as a star quarterback for TCU, became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award in the same year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.
__________________________
The Tulane football team (7-2, 4-1 American) has started the 2025 season with seven wins in the first nine games including a pair of wins over Power 4 opponents in the regular season for the first time since 1988. The victory over Memphis makes Tulane 4-1 in conference play for the fourth time in school history (2025, 2013, 1997, and 1948). This is only the fifth time the school has won four or more American games since joining the conference in 2014 although it is the fourth straight year for the program.
The program ranks fourth in the league this season in interceptions (7) and is tops in net punting (41.88). Patrick Durkin is the American Conference's leader in both field goals a game (1.67) and field goal percentage (93.8). Alec Clark leads the conference with his average of 47.2 yards per punt. Retzlaff is placed fourth in the league in rushing touchdowns (10) and is 10th in rushing yards (556). He is also leads the league in passing yards per completion (13.38). Javion White is second in the conference and is placed 21st nationally in interceptions (3).
Tulane ended the 2024 season playing in the program's third consecutive bowl game. It was also the sixth time in the last seven years that Tulane had been selected to play in a bowl game (2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 – Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl). Overall, it was Tulane's 17th bowl appearance (1932 – Rose Bowl, 1935 – Sugar Bowl, 1939 – Sugar Bowl, 1970 – Liberty Bowl, 1973 – Astro Bluebonnet Bowl, 1979 – Liberty Bowl, 1980 – Hall of Fame Bowl, 1987 – Independence Bowl, 1998 – Liberty Bowl, 2002 – Hawaii Bowl, 2013 – New Orleans, 2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 -Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl) with the program sporting an all-time record of 7-10 in bowl games. Tulane also made the team's third straight American Championship Game appearance in 2024.
The program sports a 39-12 record over the last four seasons.
Head Coach Jon Sumrall has been one of the most successful coaches in the country over the last four seasons with a record of 39-11, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returned to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
Next, the Tulane football team returns home to face off against Florida Atlantic at 3 p.m. on Nov. 15 at Yulman Stadium.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football and the men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
Players Mentioned
P
/ Football
K
/ Football
QB
/ Football
SPR
/ FootballPostgame at Memphis: HC Jon Sumrall, LB Makai Williams, QB Jake Retzlaff
Saturday, November 08
Tulane Tuesday: LB Sam Howard - 11/4/25
Tuesday, November 04
Tulane Tuesday: OL Jack Hollifield - 10/4/25
Tuesday, November 04
Tulane Tuesday: HC Jon Sumrall - 11/4/25
Tuesday, November 04
