Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is reportedly planning to enter the NFL supplemental draft, according to several reports published Monday — a decision that could effectively end a growing legal dispute over whether he could continue playing college football.
Sorsby faced a June 22 deadline to submit his application for the supplemental draft, a process the NFL makes available to players who either missed the standard draft deadline or encountered eligibility complications at the college level.
What remains unclear is what path Sorsby would take if no NFL franchise selects him in that process.
Earlier this month, the supplemental draft had already appeared to be a strong possibility for Sorsby — until a Lubbock County, Texas judge granted him a temporary injunction blocking the NCAA’s decision to strip him of his college eligibility. The NCAA had revoked his eligibility because of sports betting violations.
Texas Tech stood behind Sorsby throughout his fight to reclaim his eligibility, but that support came at a cost. The Big 12 Conference filed a complaint against Texas Tech and the Texas attorney general on Monday, seeking a court ruling that would allow the conference to enforce its own eligibility bylaws. The Big 12 asked the court to affirm its authority to set and administer its own rules.
In a separate action, the NCAA filed a formal appeal in Lubbock County District Court and requested that the case be resolved quickly — ideally before the 2026 college football season gets underway. Sorsby’s case had previously been scheduled for trial in February 2027.
The 15 Big 12 athletic directors — everyone except Texas Tech’s — gathered last week and unanimously voiced their opposition to Sorsby suiting up for the Red Raiders. Big 12 university presidents were also scheduled to convene Monday to discuss the possibility of sanctions against the school.
The controversy surrounding Sorsby began in the offseason when his legal team acknowledged that he had placed a minimum of 40 bets on the Indiana football team while he was a member of that program in 2022 and 2023. Over a four-year span, he bet approximately $90,000 on both college and professional sporting events. He entered an addiction treatment program on April 27.
Texas Tech had been prepared to allow Sorsby to play throughout the regular season and any postseason games, following a two-game suspension at the beginning of the year.
The NFL supplemental draft has not taken place since 2023, as it is only held when at least one eligible player opts in. The draft is expected to be conducted sometime in late July, though no specific date has been confirmed.
Several quarterback-needy teams — including the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Cleveland Browns — have been mentioned as potential suitors for Sorsby. However, first-year Browns head coach Todd Monken commented this month that pursuing Sorsby would be “a slippery slope” given the quarterback’s gambling history.
During his two seasons at Cincinnati, Sorsby threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also added 1,027 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns across 24 games.
