Brendan Sorsby is out of college football, never to return. But Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell has not gotten over the torment of the defeat just yet. The Red Raiders’ alum has blamed Sorsby’s departure on the supplemental draft deadline, which forced the player into a hasty decision. At the same time, he did not hold back in criticizing the NCAA.

“At the end of the day, where it ended, is basically that we ran out of time,” Campbell admitted on the Everything Lubbock YouTube channel. “He had to make a choice on whether he was going to try to stay in college or go in the NFL supplemental draft, which is a very unusual thing that’s done, but the deadline for that is June 22. And with all the different legal challenges that were going on from the Big 12, potentially from other places, there was no way to know with certainty that he was going to be eligible.”

The Big 12 and the whole of college football got exactly what they wanted with Brendan Sorsby: a permanent ineligibility. However, it occurred only due to the supplemental draft. The lawsuit filed by the Big 12 in federal court on Monday was to get a go-ahead from the court to exercise its rights under the Bylaws and First Amendment should Texas Tech decide to play Sorsby.

While that was not a complete disaster for Sorsby, the consequences of the Big 12’s legal action were too unpredictable, and perhaps too dire, for the program to take the risk of playing him. The lawsuit highlighted a possible postseason ban for Texas Tech and monetary sanctions, including the Big 12 withholding conference revenue.

For Sorsby, the timing has been a factor, even in his initial lawsuit against the NCAA ban. Sorsby’s lawyers sought a quick verdict so he could enter the supplemental draft if the court ruled against him. However, to everyone’s surprise, the court allowed him to play in the 2026 season.

The backlash didn’t stop at criticism. Multiple teams refused to play Texas Tech. And with the NCAA’s appeal pending in court, Sorsby couldn’t have left it to chance. Campbell, however, holds the NCAA accountable for how the situation unfolded.

“Again, sports wagering has changed a lot over the last few years, and their [NCAA] rules related to sports gambling are 50 years old, maybe more than that,” Campbell added. “I think there’s a difference between a kid placing a bet on a game that he’s not playing in or a game that he’s not affecting. I think that’s something that should be considered.”

In the end, the supplemental draft was a happy coincidence that saved all parties. The NCAA got what it wanted; Texas Tech won’t face sanctions from the Big 12, and Sorsby will have another chance to save his football career.

Texas Tech’s honest conversation with Sorsby

While the program was courageously defending Sorsby at the battlefront, so much was going on behind the scenes that culminated in his decision to enter the supplemental draft. Sorsby didn’t choose to enter the draft alone. Texas Tech had a conversation with him.

“So, we went to talk to Brendan,” Campbell conceded. “And said, ‘Look, it’s probably not the best thing for you, but you’d be taking some risks that you might not end up being able to play. It’s not fair to your teammates, because games that they’re playing or their postseason could be threatened if you were to play. It may not be good for the university.’ That was a tough thing, because he truly wanted to play, and he is a really good kid.”

Sorsby’s chances at the supplemental draft may be affected by the gambling controversy. However, analysts like Mike Florio have argued that the NFL shouldn’t take any action against the QB because he didn’t break its rules. For now, Sorsby is getting Day 3 grades, and a team with multiple 2027 draft picks in desperate need of a QB can ignore his history. The Browns are the only team that has removed itself from his pursuit. That leaves the likes of the Jets and the Steelers.