Though the college football offseason is still young, one promising quarterback and school are having to make some big corrections on the fly. Per a recent article, what was once looking like a sterling outlook for Texas Tech football heading into 2026 looks a whole lot murkier now after a bombshell report dropped on transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, is currently away from the team and has checked into a treatment facility for a gambling addiction. He is currently under NCAA investigation for his gambling activity dating back to 2022, when he was a redshirt at Indiana. Now it is unclear if Sorsby will be able to play this fall at all, or what the result of this investigation will be.
For this report, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news coming from the Lone Star State, along with a variety of other notes and updates you can only find at SBS.
Noted in the same article, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel put Sorsby’s return into question after the report came out, via another national sports outlet. “As we sit here today in late April, it’s difficult to see a path for Brendan Sorsby to get back on the field,” Thamel told one college football podcast. “With the volume of bets, the amount. A lot of the NCAA punishment that got reconfigured in 2023 revolves around – I think if you bet more than $800, you are at risk for 30% of the season. It’s some sort of calculus like that.”
Will Hammond is expected to be Texas Tech’s backup quarterback, and he would step into the role of the starting quarterback if Sorsby is out. Hammond has been solid in relief appearances for Berhen Morton over the last few seasons, but asking him to start a full season for a team with national title hopes is “a big leap of faith.” If Sorsby is able to come back this season, it remains to be seen what the trust and chemistry between him and his new teammates will look like. This gambling scandal will be a big part of his NFL Draft evaluation, where he has the potential to be a first-round pick after passing up that possibility this year.
Either way, the report says, Texas Tech will have an elite roster this fall and will be the favorites to win the Big 12. However, in order to compete for a national title, it will need Sorsby back on the field. Moreover, Sorsby was ESPN’s No. 1-ranked transfer this offseason and joined a Texas Tech program seeking to win back-to-back Big 12 titles and return to the College Football Playoff after a 12-2 season in 2025.
Per a recent national report from ESPN, Sorsby has retained attorney Jeffrey Kessler to try to regain his college eligibility. As noted above, he is currently under investigation for sports gambling and has been checked into a treatment program. Kessler is a prominent antitrust attorney with a strong record of success against the NCAA and was one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs in the House vs. NCAA case. He has also represented the NFLPA on behalf of Tom Brady, Ray Rice, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson, and the New Orleans Saints’ “Bountygate” players.
Currently, the NCAA prohibits student-athletes from betting on pro and college sports. Sorsby is believed to have placed thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app, sources have said. This also includes bets on Indiana football while he was a member of the program in 2022. Based on the NCAA’s guidelines, which were revised in 2023, student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own school can potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility.
If Sorsby and Kessler are unsuccessful in finding a path to eligibility, Sorsby could potentially opt to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft. The league then would review his application, and the underlying circumstances of why he is applying, and the league says there’s no deadline for the supplemental draft. If Sorsby does choose that path, he would become the most prominent college athlete to enter the NFL supplemental draft since wide receiver Josh Gordon in 2012 and quarterback Terrelle Pryor in 2011. The NFL has not had a supplemental draft pick since safety Jalen Thompson was a fifth-round selection in 2019.
After you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gambling notes coming from the Lone Star State, make sure to check out the excellent array of information for you at SBS. Of course, for additional insights on the state in this report, the Texas betting sites guide is a must-read resource for those looking to learn more about gaming news in the region. Moreover, for those interested in pursuing a new gaming outlet and are eligible, the BetOnline sportsbook review rundown is a fantastic resource where you can learn more about the latest news coming from the site. Finally, if you are eligible and qualify, the VIP sports betting sites breakdown is a fantastic page that goes over the perks of VIP wagering and whether it might make sense for you. Of course, with all these fantastic resources, SBS has something for everybody.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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