Brendan Sorsby Gambling Saga Ends With Him Entering NFL Supplemental Draft
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby recently said he will enter the NFL supplemental draft rather than play his final collegiate season.
While the recent Sorsby gambling saga has ended, it has still raised questions that need to be answered.
Turn of events in Brendan Sorsby's gambling scandal
On June 8, a Texas judge granted Sorsby a temporary injunction to play for Texas Tech this season. This was after the NCAA ruled him ineligible for placing over 9,000 bets totaling around $90,000 in the last four years while he played quarterback for Indiana and Cincinnati.
The main smoking gun was that he placed around 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2020.
Two factors that likely swayed the college quarterback
There were two recent events that likely pushed Sorsby to enter the NFL supplemental draft.
On Monday, June 15, in a statement about the Sorsby situation, the chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, Cody Campbell, said the quarterback would "not be part of the Texas Tech football team this fall."
However, Campbell also stated that the university would not seek to get any of the NIL money paid to Sorsby, which is believed to be in the $5 million range.
Also, on Monday, the Big 12 — Texas Tech's conference — filed a federal injunction seeking the right to use its rules to potentially discipline Sorsby. On top of that, the NCAA also went to the appeals court seeking an expedited resolution on the local one that gave Sorsby the right to play.
There were already many Big 12 coaches and athletic directors opposed to the decision to let him play, and some floated the idea of their schools not scheduling games against Texas Tech this season.
The NFL supplemental draft
The supplemental draft is for players who are ineligible for the main draft but become so after it concludes. It allows teams to bid on players using future draft picks. The last supplemental draft was held in 2023, but no players were bid on. The last bid for a player was an Arizona Cardinals fifth-round draft pick for safety Jalen Thompson in 2019.
Before Sorsby decided not to play this season and enter the supplemental draft, he was seen as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He starred for two seasons with Cincinnati before joining Texas Tech as the most prized player in the transfer portal.
What Sorsby said
First off, right after the news came out about the betting issues, Sorsby entered and completed a 35-day gambling rehab program. Texas Tech supported him from the get-go, but the pushback from the NCAA, Big 12, head coaches, and even the press, was likely too much.
After Sorsby made his decision to forgo playing at Texas Tech and enter the supplemental draft, he stated, "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.
"As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field."
While it remains to be seen whether a team will make a bid for him, Sorsby will get a chance to play in the NFL, given his talent.
Though this gambling-related saga has ended, there remains the issue of why a local judge would allow a collegiate player to play after NCAA rule breaches made them ineligible. Some have already stated this could be a dangerous precedent and one that undermines the authority of the NCAA.
