Court Ruling on JUCO Eligibility Could Grant Extra Eligibility to BYU QB Jake Retzlaff and Others

Casey Lundquist | Dec 19, 2024

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff against Arizona / BYU Photo

On Wednesday, a Tennessee judge granted a temporary injunction against the NCAA in favor of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia, who played two years in the JUCO ranks, was a senior this season and playing what was believed to be his final season of eligibility in 2024. Pavia sued the NCAA, claiming that his years in JUCO shouldn't count against his NCAA eligibility.

The judge ruled in favor of Pavia, granting him additional eligibility - at least for now. The NCAA could appeal the court's decision, but based on their track record in court, it seems unlikely that the NCAA will win an appeal and reverse the court's decision. If this ruling is made permanent, it could have major implications for BYU.

BYU starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff played his first two years of eligibility in the JUCO ranks. Retzlaff could be eligible to get those years back. In other words, instead of being a redshirt junior in 2024, he would have been a redshirt freshman. Should he choose to use all of his additional eligibility at BYU, Retzlaff could theoretically be the BYU starting quarterback for the next three seasons.

Before this ruling, the future of the quarterback position at BYU was unclear. Retzlaff is the undisputed starter heading into the 2025 season, but after that, the starting spot would be up for grabs between McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, Noah Lugo, and any other quarterback BYU would have added between now and then. Instead, Retzlaff might be the long-term solution at quarterback for the Cougars.

Retzlaff isn't the only BYU player impacted by this ruling. There are several BYU players with JUCO ties that could be granted extra eligibility as well. Darius Lassiter, Caleb Etienne, Luke To'omalatai, John Taumoepeau, Mory Bamba, Hinckley Ropati, and Isaiah Jatta are a few notable players that could potentially be granted extra eligibility.