Since announcing his entry into the NFL Supplemental Draft, Brendan Sorsby has consistently been in the headlines. The quarterback abandoned efforts to continue his college career after the reaction to his getting cleared to resume in the NCAA. Though he underwent a 35-day inpatient treatment program for a gambling addiction and believes he is ready to enter the NFL, the league’s franchises are not in agreement with him.

No doubt the 6’3″ and 235-pounder has great potential, with good footwork and a great arm. But he is someone who has bet almost $100,000 during his NCAA career. Because of his addiction, the NCAA took away his eligibility completely. He had just transferred to the Texas Tech Red Raiders from Cincinnati, and all this unfolded in April. So, the franchises are cautious about him, given his past transgressions.

“The way I’d look at the gambling, I don’t really care if he’s suspended for part of this year so much,” said an AFC exec, via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “What I care about is, can I sleep good at night knowing it’s behind him? I know he went to rehab, but was that a reaction to getting caught or a real effort to get past it?”

“I want the context of it—was he sitting on the couch bored, a kid punching bets into his phone, or was this strategic and planned out and all that?” said another AFC exec. “If this is just a guy on his phone placing bets, that’s correctable. That’s not harming anyone else.”

While the franchise executives have raised their suspicions, they are curious to know whether he ever compromised the college program he represented. It is not just a college concern either. The NFL has dealt with gambling violations before, most notably Calvin Ridley, who missed an entire season for placing wagers on his own NFL team while he had temporarily stepped away.

Also, Kayshon Boutte made over 8,900 bets, with six of those on his own college games. The player even bet on himself in a game. After all these instances came to light a year after the draft, Boutte faced no penalty for his college transgressions.

With questions of his integrity as a player flying around, Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, came to his defense.

“The facts of Brendan Sorsby’s case are clearly outlined in the NCAA’s report, and I would encourage anyone commenting on this situation to read it before drawing conclusions,” Slavin texted. “The NCAA specifically found there were no integrity-of-the-game concerns. Brendan never bet on a game in which he played. In fact, the only wagers involving his team occurred in 2022, when he was redshirting and had not yet appeared in a game. Those bets were simply on his team and teammates to succeed.”

He even called people out for making assumptions rather than considering the facts.

Franchises have already lined up for Brendan Sorsby

While the jury is still out on the 22-year-old quarterback, he seems to have a lot of eyes on him. He is a raw talent who still needs refinement. With a weak quarterback draft class this year, Sorsby could be the answer for franchises needing a long-term quarterback.

Sorsby’s stats definitely make him the most-followed prospect for the NFL Supplemental Draft and provide him a cushion against the ongoing issue. Last year, he added 2,800 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns against five interceptions for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He completed 61.6% of his passes, while boasting a passer rating of 155.1. He even highlighted his dual-threat abilities while going for 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in 100 attempts. The QB did all this in 12 games, finishing the season with a 7-5 record.

Further, with all the evaluations, his agent, Ron Slavin, also revealed that several franchises have inquired about him.

“Twenty-two between General Managers and college scouting directors reached out yesterday and then four more already this morning,” said Sorsby’s agent on Wednesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “And I know [coach] Joey [McGuire’s] getting a ton of phone calls at Tech. Like I said, there aren’t a lot of guys walking around 6’3″, 235 [pounds] and can move like him and throw it like him.”

When asked what kinds of questions the franchises have been asking about the former Texas Tech quarterback, Slavin said they were mainly about his gambling addiction, his physical stats, what he will add to the franchise, and related things. Despite all the questions, attracting 26 of 32 franchises, that too for a Supplemental Draft, is pretty good.

The identities of the franchises are not yet revealed, but the interested names could include the likes of the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. The former’s situation can be interesting as it is currently a contest between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson for the QB1 role. Watson hasn’t played since October 2024, and Sanders did not exactly light up the league.

However, head coach Todd Monken’s personal opinion is that it would be tough for the franchise to go down that road and get Sorsby in from the supplemental draft. It remains to be seen if the Browns organization shares his opinion.

The Supplemental Draft might select a quarterback after over a decade, given the hype around Sorsby. As of now, it remains to be seen what happens when the time comes.