Cougs Daily

Aaron Roderick Expects Jake Retzlaff to Be One of the Nation's Top Quarterbacks Next Season

Casey Lundquist

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff against Arizona
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff against Arizona / BYU Photo
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Before leading BYU to an 11-2 season in 2024, BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was in a heated quarterback battle. Retzlaff battled transfer Gerry Bohannon throughout camp, and he wasn't named the starter until hours before BYU kicked off the 2024 season.

The decision to go with Retzlaff paid off. Retzlaff led BYU to a 9-0 start and he helped BYU finish in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 standings. He had ups and downs, but his improvement compared to 2023 was unquestionable.

Going into 2025, there is no quarterback controversy at BYU. Jake Retzlaff will be the guy, and all competition will be centered around the backup quarterback position. Before BYU's bowl game against Colorado, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said he expects Retzlaff to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football next season.

"I thought he had a very good season," Roderick said. "In November, he did not play his best. We didn't play our best as an offense in November. But I think that if you look at the overall big picture of the season, he had a very good year and I expect him to take another step forward in this game and then just keep taking incremental steps in the next season. I expect him to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football next year."

Retzlaff showed flashes of brilliance in 2024, and signs that he could live up to Roderick's lofty expectations. He played nearly perfect football in first halves against UCF and Baylor. In those two first halves, Retzlaff was effective on the ground, lethal through the air, and he protected the football. That version of Retzlaff could become one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

However, he also had moments that highlighted the areas where he will need to improve to be considered in that category. When Retzlaff got banged up in November, his production dropped off. His efficiency in the redzone, which was a strength in September and October, became a liability in November. The turnovers increased as well and, in two cases, cost BYU wins.

In 2024, Retzlaff proved that he's capable of getting a lot better in one offseason. If he takes another step forward in 2025, he has the potential to lead BYU to Big 12 title contention again.

Aaron Roderick has believed in Retzlaff ever since he was putting up absurd numbers at the JUCO level. If Retzlaff can make incremental improvements like Roderick suggested, he could prove Roderick right again and become one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

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Casey Lundquist
CASEY LUNDQUIST

Casey Lundquist is the publisher and lead editor of Cougs Daily. He has covered BYU athletics for the last four years. During that time, he has published over 2,000 stories that have reached more than three million people.

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