During a gambling investigation, Brendan Sorsby’s legal team asked the NCAA to restore the Texas Tech QB’s eligibility in 2026 through a reinstatement request. They even proposed a mitigated two-game suspension. But the governing body flatly denied that request and ruled him permanently ineligible. Yet, Sorsby’s chance to play football hasn’t gone.

“If you look at these NCAA cases in the past, this type of past precedent, this wasn’t altogether surprising,” said ESPN’s Pete Thamel during his Thursday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. “Now, Sorsby’s case is a little bit unique because of the gambling addiction piece of it, which is a just sort of new way to look, a new prism to look at these gambling cases through.”

Sorsby was found to have placed thousands of sports wagers since 2022. What made his case worse was that, while he was a redshirt freshman at Indiana, he was betting on his own team to win. That led Sorsby’s lawyers, led by antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler, to file a lawsuit against the NCAA.

They argued that the organization is illegally weaponizing Sorsby’s gambling violations, as it’s a clinically diagnosed gambling addiction. The Red Raiders’ QB even completed a 35-day residential rehabilitation program. This lawsuit is his last-ditch effort to bypass the NCAA’s authority, as Sorsby’s reinstatement request was rejected. Yet it’s not clear whether he will enter the supplemental draft or whether he’s eligible to play.

“Now there are two prongs for him to potentially play college football next year,” said Thamel. “One, the more likely prong will be the June 1 court date in Lubbock County, where he will go before a judge. There was a 200-page lawsuit by affidavits that basically is asking for an injunction for his eligibility for the season next year.”

“Texas Tech also, in a letter from President Lawrence Schovanec yesterday, said we will appeal this NCAA decision, which is not part of the normal reinstatement process,” added Thamel.

Schovanec called on the NCAA to modernize its bylaws to account for legalized sports betting. He even stated that the organization should treat gambling addiction as a mental health issue. But above all, the legal process is incredibly compressed because, before the June 22 deadline for the NFL supplemental draft, he needs clarity to continue his football journey.

“If I wanted to answer to whether or not he’ll enter the supplemental draft, I think what happens in court on June 1 really portends the solution here, and what happens, he gets the injunction, I think there’s a strong possibility he plays his college football this season; he does not get the injunction; it becomes a hard road to get on his feet,” stated the ESPN reporter.

If the Texas courts do not grant an injunction, Brendan Sorsby is expected to leave college entirely. But is entering the NFL a possible path for the Texas Tech QB?

Brendan Sorsby’s NFL fate

After a standout season at Cincinnati, Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech. If he had declared for the 2026 NFL draft, his draft value would have ranged from a late 1st-round to a 2nd-round selection. Despite that, CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported that Sorsby’s path to the NFL Supplemental Draft could be clouded by his gambling scandal.

Multiple NFL front offices view Sorsby as “frankly untouchable right now.” Then, if an NFL team wants to draft Sorsby, they must completely give up their 2027 draft pick, so no GM wants to lose future draft capital for a player who has a gambling history. Yet, ESPN’s Pete Thamel suggests Brendan Sorsy’s NFL fate could shine.

“He does have a robust market in the NFL,” said the ESPN reporter. “I’m not saying he’s gonna be a first-round pick. But look, the NFL quarterback needy place, he is one of the top five quarterback prospects as of right now. Now, scouts will tell you he probably needs one more year, right? But if he had gone out in the last draft, there was a very good chance he was a top 50. I think that’s, I think that’s safe to say.”

In 2025, at Cincinnati, he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year via PFF, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 TDs. Given that there’s no doubt about his talent. But due to the gambling scandal, draft experts expect teams to take a discount. Yet, he can see a future at the pro level.

“As we know, quarterbacks tend to rise when people fall in love. He has a unique skill set; there’s probably some consistency issues, but he is a talented guy,” said Thamel. “So I would think that the need for clarity from college, and that some of that is progress in the tenor of the lawsuit, comes with the fact that there’s that NFL deadline, and he does have realistic options, realistic options there.”