Brendan Sorsby, a quarterback for Texas Tech, intends to file for the NFL’s supplemental draft, a dramatic turnabout in the controversy surrounding his eligibility following his admission of wagering on college athletics.
After receiving a temporary injunction on June 8 from a Texas judge that seemed to pave the way for him to play for the Red Raiders in 2026, Sorsby’s decision to depart Tech and pursue the NFL is a reversal of course.
The NCAA declared Sorsby ineligible after learning that, during his four years as a student at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech, he had made over 9,000 wagers totaling at least $90,000 on professional and collegiate sports, including at least 40 bets on Indiana football when he was a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022.
That route to qualifying was further complicated by a flurry of legal activity throughout the previous week. In a long statement on Monday night, Texas Tech board of regents chairman Cody Campbell declared that Sorsby will “not be part of the Texas Tech football team this fall” and referred to the supplemental draft as “the only viable and fair path” for Sorsby’s future.
Additionally, according to Campbell, Texas Tech would not “seek the return” of any funds given to Sorsby as a result of his NIL agreements with the school.
What had been a busy legal day is concluded by Sorsby’s ruling. The Big 12 requested a federal injunction on Monday morning so that it could potentially punish Sorsby in accordance with its regulations. In a separate request, the NCAA urged an appeals court to expedite the local case and make a ruling on his eligibility by the beginning of football season.
In his statement, Campbell made reference to the NFL’s June 22 supplemental draft deadline and stated that there is “no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date.”
