When Brendan Sorsby threw his final pass for the Cincinnati Bearcats last fall, the star quarterback didn’t know he was then embarking on what would become a 650-plus-day break in competitive action.
Sorsby, 22, will not play football this year and instead will focus on preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft. The embattled quarterback officially announced his intentions Tuesday after threatening to sue the NFL following the league’s decision not to hold a supplemental draft this summer.
That made Sorsby a man without a home this fall, as he previously decided to leave Texas Tech following a legal battle with the NCAA in the aftermath of his sports gambling activity coming to light.
“I will continue to take it one day at a time,” Sorsby said in a statement. “Focusing on making myself better throughout this process and making sure to share what I have learned and will continue to learn with others going forward. I am fully committed to being the best version of myself that I can be while getting ready for the 2027 draft.”
The NFL informed all 32 franchises in a memo that Sorsby and the NFL Players Association confirmed “there will be no further litigation regarding his entry into the NFL.” Sorsby will be considered a draft-eligible player for the 2027 NFL Draft, the league said.
If Sorsby is drafted next spring and makes a Week 1 NFL roster, it will have been 653 days between his last college regular-season start on Nov. 29, 2025, and Sept. 12, 2027, which is scheduled to be the first Sunday of the 2027 NFL Season.
The Sorsby Saga
The seven months since Sorsby’s last college snap have been a roller coaster.
In January, Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech after signing a reported $5 million revenue-sharing and NIL (name, image, and likeness) package with the Red Raiders. But the honeymoon in Lubbock didn’t last long.
Cincinnati filed a lawsuit in February against Sorsby, alleging a “breach of contract” by the quarterback, who the school said signed an 18-month, two-season NIL deal in July 2025. The school was seeking $1 million from Sorbsy.
But before that could be settled, Sorsby announced in April he was taking an “indefinite leave of absence” from the Texas Tech football program to enter a residential treatment facility for gambling addiction. Sorsby made thousands of online bets, including wagering on Indiana football while he was redshirting for the Hoosiers in 2022.
The NCAA ruled Sorsby ineligible, but the quarterback sued the NCAA in May, seeking reinstatement for the 2026 season. The NCAA denied Sorsby’s reinstatement request later that month.
Then, in a wild turn of events in early June, a Texas judge in Lubbock County district court ruled that Sorsby could play for Texas Tech in 2026—setting off a firestorm of reaction from the college sports world.
Big Ten and SEC schools threatened to boycott playing games against Texas Tech in any sport. The Big 12 sued Texas Tech and Texas’s state attorney general, Ken Paxton, seeking a judgment to allow it to enforce its bylaws against the school if it decided to play Sorsby despite his gambling transgressions.
“I think we’re trying to move forward together as 16 programs that all need each other to be successful and to support each other,” West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker told Front Office Sports. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to always agree. And definitely on this issue, there wasn’t agreement.”
Ultimately, Sorsby decided to leave Texas Tech and attempt to enter the NFL supplemental draft.
The NFL’s decision not to hold a supplemental draft is effectively a one-season suspension for Sorsby before he turns professional. The Canadian Football League also said it would not grant him eligibility this year either, citing concerns over his gambling activities. The next United Football League season won’t begin until just weeks before the 2027 NFL Draft.
Sorsby’s Next Steps
Originally viewed as a potential first-round NFL Draft prospect, Sorsby will have to work hard to keep his draft stock during his year away from football.
That will be key to how much money he makes when he enters the league, too. First-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft were eligible to sign four-year contracts ranging from roughly $16 million to $57 million.
The NFL Scouting Combine in late February will be Sorsby’s first chance to showcase the state of his on-field form—and meet in person with coaches and GMs, who will certainly have questions about his former gambling activity—if he is invited.
Instead of a traditional pro day at a former school, Sorsby could also host his own pro day next spring for teams’ scouts. NFL teams will also be able to invite him to their facilities for one of their allotted number of official visits.
