Jake Retzlaff, the BYU quarterback who made waves with his new NIL deal with Jewish food brand Manischewitz, has filed to trademark his nickname, “BYJew.” The moniker, which he and his older brother Reggie came up with in celebration of being the first Jewish quarterback to ever play for the Mormon university, gained prominence beyond campus as he led the Cougars to a 10-2 regular-season record. The dual-threat QB spearheaded a team that won its first nine games and briefly flirted with the expanded College Football Playoff. Per an Oct. 27 filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, “BYJEW” was initially used on Dec. 4, 2023, for “marketing services in the nature of promotion of third-party goods and services.” It was also used on Oct. 1 for T-shirts. The nickname has made for popular merchandise in and around BYU. The Chabad of Utah County sells shirts where 100% of the proceeds go to community efforts. (Retzlaff, through a link in his Instagram bio, has endorsed the Chabad’s shirts.) Yet, other online retailers and sports brands have sold their own designs with the moniker. “BYJew” is far from the first unique identifier of a college athlete that others have profited from—think Brian “The Boz” Bosworth, Johnny Manziel with “Johnny Football” or Tyrann Mathieu as “the Honey Badger.” However, the advent of NIL gives Reztlaff an opportunity to cash in on his moniker or at least give permission for its use without running afoul of NCAA bylaws. Last week, Retzlaff signed a name, image and likeness pact with Manischewitz, the famed Jewish food brand. The deal includes video content where Ratzlaff shares his love of certain foods along with stories about his upbringing in the faith. The company will also sell limited edition boxes of matzo with Retzlaff’s likeness on them. In the 2024 regular season, the sophomore quarterback threw for 2,796 yards and 20 touchdowns (with 10 interceptions), while rushing for 388 yards and three touchdowns. The No. 17 Cougars will face No. 20 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 in San Antonio. The Buffaloes could feature two players who could land in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, despite recent history showing top prospects usually sit out.

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff Filed for 'BYJew' Trademark in NIL Push

Jake Retzlaff, the BYU quarterback who made waves with his new NIL deal with Jewish food brand Manischewitz, has filed to trademark his nickname, “BYJew.” The moniker, which he and his older brother Reggie came up with in celebration of being the first Jewish quarterback to ever play for the Mormon university, gained prominence beyond […]

Jake Retzlaff, the BYU quarterback who made waves with his new NIL deal with Jewish food brand Manischewitz, has filed to trademark his nickname, “BYJew.”

The moniker, which he and his older brother Reggie came up with in celebration of being the first Jewish quarterback to ever play for the Mormon university, gained prominence beyond campus as he led the Cougars to a 10-2 regular-season record. The dual-threat QB spearheaded a team that won its first nine games and briefly flirted with the expanded College Football Playoff.

Per an Oct. 27 filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, “BYJEW” was initially used on Dec. 4, 2023, for “marketing services in the nature of promotion of third-party goods and services.” It was also used on Oct. 1 for T-shirts.

The nickname has made for popular merchandise in and around BYU. The Chabad of Utah County sells shirts where 100% of the proceeds go to community efforts. (Retzlaff, through a link in his Instagram bio, has endorsed the Chabad’s shirts.) Yet, other online retailers and sports brands have sold their own designs with the moniker.

“BYJew” is far from the first unique identifier of a college athlete that others have profited from—think Brian “The Boz” Bosworth, Johnny Manziel with “Johnny Football” or Tyrann Mathieu as “the Honey Badger.” However, the advent of NIL gives Reztlaff an opportunity to cash in on his moniker or at least give permission for its use without running afoul of NCAA bylaws.

Last week, Retzlaff signed a name, image and likeness pact with Manischewitz, the famed Jewish food brand. The deal includes video content where Ratzlaff shares his love of certain foods along with stories about his upbringing in the faith. The company will also sell limited edition boxes of matzo with Retzlaff’s likeness on them.

In the 2024 regular season, the sophomore quarterback threw for 2,796 yards and 20 touchdowns (with 10 interceptions), while rushing for 388 yards and three touchdowns. The No. 17 Cougars will face No. 20 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 in San Antonio. The Buffaloes could feature two players who could land in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, despite recent history showing top prospects usually sit out.