Gambling QB Won His Eligibility Back. Now He’s Risking It All On A Shot At The NFL.

Texas Tech University star quarterback Brendan Sorsby is planning to withdraw his lawsuit against the NCAA and declare for the NFL’s supplemental draft in a shocking move, foregoing his final year of college eligibility. 

Just over a week after a Texas state court granted him an injunction to suit up for the Red Raiders for the 2026-2027 season, Sorsby decided to leave college football for good and prepare for a potential career in the NFL. 

Both the spoken and legal backlash flooded in following the ruling on June 8, 2026. The University of Georgia and University of Nebraska were publicly boycotting facing Texas Tech on their schedule until the NCAA made a decision. Just hours before Sorsby’s decision, the Big 12 Conference, in which Texas Tech competes, sued the university to relieve the injunction he was granted.

Sorsby transferred from the University of Cincinnati to Texas Tech following two years with the program after spending his first two seasons with Indiana University. In those two seasons at Indiana, Sorsby wagered at least $90,000 — with some of his bets placed on the football team. The NCAA then banned Sorsby and took away his eligibility — but he sued the association and had regained it for next season.

Following the announcement, Sorsby took to social media to express his gratitude for those supporting his future endeavors.

“I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue,” Sorsby posted on his Instagram account. “As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”

In an attempt to continue his football career, Sorsby will apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft that will take place later this summer. The supplemental draft is a separate event from the NFL Draft that we see every April; teams will blind bid their 2027 NFL Draft selections for a player that was not able to declare for the draft due to an issue with their eligibility. The highest draft pick bid will draft that player and forfeit the pick in the following NFL Draft.

There have only been three players selected in the NFL’s supplemental draft in the last 15 years: Jalen Thompson in 2019, Josh Gordon in 2012, and Terrelle Pryor in 2011. All three had careers of at least seven years.

It is unknown whether any team will risk their future picks to select Sorsby, as his off the field concerns are what brought about his current predicament. NFL executives will have to decide whether Sorsby has learned from his six figure gambling decisions, or whether his football career will end in disappointment.