The Texas Tech Red Raiders are hoping to have quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s services in 2026.
When they picked him up in the transfer portal in January, it was seen as arguably the biggest offseason win in college football. In 2025 for Cincinnati, Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 580 yards and nine touchdowns.
He was a pickup who seemingly rocketed Texas Tech into the way-too-early College Football Playoff championship picture for 2026, but then things fell apart.
Sorsby admitted himself to inpatient rehab for a gambling addiction. He had reportedly placed thousands of wagers on multiple sports through online apps. Notably, he also had bet on the Indiana Hoosiers while he was on the team as a redshirt freshman quarterback, which is what ultimately cost him his 2026 eligibility in the eyes of the NCAA.
The quarterback recently filed an injunction against the NCAA to try to win that eligibility back. Texas Tech is also making a case for his reinstatement.
Will Sorsby win his case against the NCAA?
One anonymous Big 12 coach thinks there’s no chance.
“(Brendan Sorsby) is not gonna be able to play, no matter what they say,” that coach recently told Athlon Sports. “There’s no way because once you open Pandora’s Box, it’s over.”
Brendan Sorsby is unlikely to win back his eligibility to play at Texas Tech
It’s worth noting that Sorsby did try to get the NCAA to agree to a two-game suspension for 2026 based on the competition of his residential treatment program. He also proposed that he’d act as the face of gambling addiction reform among student-athletes in an effort to try to help others.
The NCAA has been clear in the past that betting on your own team is an automatic loss of eligibility, though, and the anonymous Big 12 coach is right. Once that box is open, there’s no going back.
There’s no way the NCAA is going to relent against Sorsby, and it seems unlikely a judge will side with him either. That’s especially true now that the Texas Tech alumnus judge who was assigned the case has recused himself.
All signs point to Sorsby having no chance to play for Texas Tech in 2026. In the meantime, he’d like to have a decision made soon, because he may need to enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft, and paperwork is due for that by June 22.
