Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is fighting for his college eligibility, but if Plan B becomes the preferred route, several NFL teams are expected to have interest in selecting him in the supplemental draft.
Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati in the offseason and participated in spring practice with his new team but might never take the field for the Red Raiders in the regular season as the NCAA investigates allegations of rampant betting. The NCAA prohibits athletes and employees from wagering
on NCAA events in which a championship is held, which includes football.
ESPN and Cleveland.com reported that teams are doing their due diligence to determine if Sorsby would have value should he enter the supplemental draft by the June 30 deadline.
Sorsby reportedly made bets on Major League Baseball and college football games, and allegedly wagered on Indiana football while he was a redshirt for the Hoosiers in 2022.
Sorsby was highly productive once he got on the field. He had 15 TD passes as a redshirt freshman at Indiana in 2023. Over three total seasons for the Hoosiers and Bearcats (2024-25), Sorsby had 82 total touchdowns (22 rushing) and 17 interceptions.
He threw 27 TDs and five interceptions for Cincinnati last season.
A supplemental draft was last held in 2019. Created in 1977, it was launched to give players with "sudden eligibility changes" a ladder from college to the NFL. However, the league would likely closely review the investigation into Sorsby's off-field activity before determining whether to hold the special draft in July.
Texas Tech said he would enter a treatment program for a gambling addiction and take an indefinite leave of absence from the team and hired Jeffrey Kessler to try to regain his college eligibility. A prominent sports law attorney, Kessler was lead attorney in the House vs. NCAA case approved in June 2025 that led to revenue sharing in college athletics. Schools were able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning last July 1, with the amount increasing annually.
Kessler represented the NFL Players Association on behalf of players such as Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice.
Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3. He was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states, per the report.
Legendary Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar (1985), Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter (1987) and Jets and Cardinals wide receiver Rob Moore (1990) are among the most notable players to enter the NFL via the supplemental draft.
--Field Level Media
