Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby plans to enter the 2026 NFL supplemental draft, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. The expected decision ends a major firestorm over his eligibility.
Sorsby plans to withdraw his lawsuit against the NCAA on Tuesday, according to NFL Network. With his temporary injunction no longer valid, he would formally become ineligible again, which makes him eligible to enter the supplemental draft.
“This decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation,” Texas Tech board chairman Cody Campbell said in a statement. “Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future, as well as for his teammates, and our university.”
Campbell also noted that Texas Tech would not seek the return of any money paid under his contract with the school. According to reports, Sorsby was set to make more than $5 million.
Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets during his four years as a college athlete at Indiana and Cincinnati, including gambling on his own program while playing at Indiana. Gambling on your own team or university is grounds for permanent loss of collegiate eligibility, per NCAA rules.
The Brendan Sorsby dilemma: The tape says first round. The gambling controversy complicates everything.
Ryan Wilson
However, Sorsby received an injunction in a Lubbock County District Court that would allow him to play, pending his formal trial in February 2027. The NCAA appealed the decision.
The Big 12 has discussed options in the past week to punish Sorsby and Texas Tech, including potential ineligibility for the Big 12 Championship Game. Responding to a statement from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the league filed a request for an injunction that, if granted, would allow it to enforce its rules against Texas Tech. The attorney generals rom Oklahoma, Kansas and Utah also stood up in support of the conference.
Instead of going through the legal process, Sorsby will instead attempt to become the first player drafted in the NFL supplemental draft in the NIL era. Texas Tech will turn to quarterback Will Hammond, who missed the spring after recovering from a torn ACL in October.
The backlash grows
Rated the No. 2 overall prospect in the transfer portal, Sorsby was a significant addition for Texas Tech. The program lost senior Behren Morton to the NFL, and Hammond’s injury left them wary about entering a pivotal season without clarity at the position.
Early reviews from spring camp were stellar, including a four-touchdown performance in the spring game. After getting tipped off by the NCAA that an investigation was coming, Sorsby entered a gambling rehab facility in Arizona, spending five weeks in inpatient care. Following the ruling, Texas Tech and Sorsby applied for his reinstatement, stating that the NCAA should have taken further account that Sorsby had a clinically diagnosed gambling disorder.
When Sorsby’s application was denied, he retained high-powered attorney Jeffrey Kessler and successfully filed for an injunction that would block the NCAA from suspending him. The backlash was swift against Sorsby and Texas Tech for embracing him. Georgia and Nebraska both announced that they would not schedule the Red Raiders in any sport. According to Yahoo Sports, Michigan canceled a scheduled volleyball match against the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech released a 21-minute video on Friday with its president, athletic director and football coach explaining all the nuances of the decision. Ultimately, the pressure getting elevated to the Big 12 and state government levels was too much for Sorsby and his camp.
What’s next for Sorsby
Sorsby is now expected to enter the 2026 NFL supplemental draft, which has not been held since 2023. No player has been elected in the draft since Washington State defensive back Jalen Thompson in 2019.
NFL teams can select players in the supplemental draft by blindly submitting a pick number, which they would then forfeit in next year’s draft. CBS Sports’ NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson is high on Sorsby’s ability, seeing him as a potential first-round talent. But with his gambling addiction and firestorm over his eligibility, the process becomes far more complicated.
In two years as a starter at Cincinnati, Sorsby threw for a combined 5,613 yards, rushed for 1,027 yards and scored 63 touchdowns. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors in 2025.
Only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft: the Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza and the Rams’ Ty Simpson. Sorsby could be a buy-low candidate for a franchise.
Where Texas Tech stands
Texas Tech has stood by Sorsby during the process, even as he was expected to lose eligibility. While Sorsby, not Texas Tech, filed the lawsuit, they supported his return to the roster and campus as a result of the injunction.
“The truth is, contrary to the public narrative, Texas Tech’s only objectives have been to protect the well-being and best interest of one of our new students, his fellow student-athletes, our institution and our community,” Campbell said.
Now, the Red Raiders are handing the ball to Hammond, a former blue-chip recruit from Hutto, Texas. The rising sophomore came off the bench against Utah last season and delivered a 169-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 34-10 road victory.
With Hammond still unlikely to be ready for the opener, Texas Tech has a few other options on the roster. Redshirt freshman Lloyd Jones III is the only other player on the roster with snaps at Texas Tech, all coming against West Virginia. Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis started 10 games for the Golden Hurricane, throwing for more than 3,000 yards in 18 appearances.
Even without Sorsby, Texas Tech is projected as the favorite to win the Big 12 and become the first team to go back-to-back since Oklahoma won six straight from 2015-20.
