NCAA puts Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby on the path to the NFL supplemental draft, but there’s one last hurdle before it becomes official
Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby was hoping to get eligibility for the 2026 season, but it didn’t go the way he wanted.
The NCAA has ruled on the eligibility of Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby, and it didn’t go in his favor. They denied his request for reinstatement due to placing bets during his freshman season at Indiana in 2022.
This is an expected move by the NCAA, as gambling is strictly prohibited for players. Sorsby just completed inpatient rehab for a gambling addiction, hoping that it would help his chances, but it hasn’t gone the way they wanted it to.
He released a statement shortly after the ruling, apologizing to everyone he disappointed.
Brendan Sorsby’s next step could be the supplemental draft
Where Sorsby goes from here is interesting. There is a pending lawsuit against the NCAA, and Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec released a statement about the situation, mentioning they will be appealing the ruling.
Recently, the NCAA issued an initial ruling that Brendan is permanently ineligible to compete. Texas Tech will be appealing that decision. We believe that given the facts and the context of Brendan’s case, the NCAA’s ruling should be reversed or modified. As a generation of college athletes face the legalization and rapid proliferation of sports betting in our country, gambling addiction is rising to the point of epidemic among college aged men in particular. The NCAA’s stated mission includes “fostering [student-athletes’] lifelong well-being”, and they have claimed their goal is to promote a “culture of care” for student athletes’ mental health. Gambling addiction is a clinically recognized behavioral disorder, as defined in the DSM-5.
The NCAA’s own Chief Medical Officer has called for a “harm reduction approach” in dealing with problem gambling so that student-athletes can “seek support without fear of impacting their eligibility.” The NCAA’s own policies and procedures for reinstatement call for “reaching an outcome that considers the well-being of the involved student-athlete.” We are asking that the NCAA follow their own stated principles in this case. Ignoring these facts in this ruling puts the letter of their rules ahead of the spirit of their mission.
Lawrence Schovanec
Texas Tech President
If that doesn’t go their way, Sorsby could find himself entering the supplemental draft. It would happen before teams hit training camp. The key date will be June 22nd, which is the date Sorsby has to make a decision on if he wants to enter his name into the draft.
Will teams want to submit a pick for Sorsby? The third round could be a sweet spot, as it was the last time a quarterback was taken (Terrelle Pryor, 2011). Plus, multiple teams have two or more picks in the third round, including the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kansas City Chiefs. With the Vikings’ quarterback situation, getting ahead of them could be a priority for quarterback-needy teams.
Sorsby’s decision will end up making a big impact on how teams approach the rest of the offseason.