Jake Retzlaff — BYU’s rising star QB and the face of Cougar football — just got slapped with a civil lawsuit that’s rocking Provo harder than a Big 12 rivalry game.
According to court docs filed Tuesday in Utah’s 3rd District Court (yep, it’s official), Retzlaff is being accused of sexual assault, strangulation, and biting by a woman identified only as Jane Doe A.G.
The alleged incident? It all reportedly went down back in November 2023 at Retzlaff’s place. The woman says the two met on social media in October, chatted for a bit, then met up. What started off normal quickly turned dark, according to the lawsuit.
Once her friend left the apartment, she claims Retzlaff made unwanted advances. She says she told him “no,” but he kept going — eventually leading to a violent encounter that included choking and biting, per The Salt Lake Tribune.
The woman says she later went to a hospital and completed a rape kit. At first, she didn’t name Retzlaff to police, but later ID’d him when a cop mentioned a similar complaint involving a football player.
Then it gets even more eyebrow-raising.
According to Deseret News, the officer allegedly told her something no survivor ever wants to hear: “Sexual assault victims never get justice.” Talk about a confidence killer.
Retzlaff hasn’t been arrested or charged criminally. His lawyer, Mark Baute, told ESPN that the quarterback is “factually innocent” and that they’ll prove it in court.
Meanwhile, BYU issued a tight-lipped response, saying they’re aware of the lawsuit and will follow proper procedures under Title IX. That’s code for: “No comment for now.”
Retzlaff transferred to BYU from Riverside City College and became QB1 last season. He helped the Cougars notch an 11–2 record, making him one of the school’s top faces. Now? That spotlight’s burning a little hotter.