Jake Retzlaff has earned a spot as one of America's top college football quarterbacks, rising with the Brigham Young University Cougars as the first Jewish quarterback to ever play at the Mormon university. But it's precisely that religious juxtaposition that got Retzlaff in trouble with the BYU Cougars, after a brief legal action in May 2025 saw an anonymous accusation of sexual assault lobbied against the college athlete. Even though the case was dismissed with prejudice on June 30, Retzlaff conceded that he had sexual relations with the woman, which is against BYU's religious rules. Instead of facing a lengthy suspension, Retzlaff applied for a transfer.

BYU's loss turned into Tulane University's gain, as Retzlaff will now vie for the starting QB spot on the Tulane Green Wave, repping a university that proudly stands as one of the first in the American South to allow Jews—and now has, according to some estimates, a Jewish student population as high as 40 percent. How will Retlaff perform at "Jewlane" University? What are the expectations? We ask Isaac Popper, an insider with the Green Wave and sports reporter based in New Orleans, for answers.

Credits

• Hosts: James Hirsh and Gabe Pulver
• Producer: Michael Fraiman
• Music: Coby Lipovitch (intro), chēēZ π (main theme, "Organ Grinder Swing")

Support The CJN

• Follow the podcast on Twitter @menschwarmers
• Subscribe to The CJN newsletter
• Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)
• Subscribe to Menschwarmers (Not sure how? Click here)