Brendan Sorsby will not be allowed to play in the NFL until next season, 2027. Former Iowa State signal-caller Hunter Dekkers presents a logical blueprint for his next 12 months.
These two quarterbacks are on two very different levels in terms of name recognition, so it is not apples to apples, but it proves that a gambling suspension is not the end of the road.
Sorsby must decide on whether he wants to play college football in the fall or if he is going to sit out the entire season. He has four viable options for how to proceed.
Hunter Dekkers is back in the NFL.
Dekkers, for those who don’t remember, was one of seven Iowa State athletes indicted on records tampering charges related to his underage use of the gambling platform DraftKings. The former four-star recruit ultimately pled guilty to underage gambling.
The affidavit said Dekkers placed 26 wagers on Iowa State sporting events, including a football game during which he served as the backup. In all, he was accused of placing 366 bets that totaled more than $2,700.
Hunter Dekkers was banned from NCAA competition as a result of his gambling and subsequent guilty plea. He sat out the entire 2023 season after his appeal to the NCAA for reinstatement was denied.
Because the junior college level of competition is not regulated by the NCAA, Dekkers was allowed to play for Iowa Western Community College in 2024 and threw darts. The Reivers went 11-2 en route to a runner-up finish in the national title game.
From there, Dekkers signed with the New Orleans Saints in April 2025 for rookie minicamp. He spent most of last season on the practice squad. The organization moved him to the active roster before the final game of the season. That move allowed the team to sign him to a futures contract in the offseason.
Dekkers later signed with the Houston Gamblers of the United Football League. He completed 61.6% of his passes for 748 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions in five appearances. It was a strong spring campaign that was cut short due to injury.
Hunter Dekkers' best plays, all in one place 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/tyVUhA6tad
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 26, 2026
The Saints announced that they re-signed Dekkers for training camp earlier this month. A quarterback who was blackballed by the NCAA for gambling still managed to make the NFL.
Brendan Sorsby could take a similar path.
The Canadian Football League denied Brendan Sorsby the opportunity to compete during this current season. That leaves him with four legitimate options on how to proceed. There is only one way to play in 2026. He would have to go the Hunter Dekkers route.
It is possible for Sorsby to play college football in the fall if he chooses to play at a junior college.
Now, there is a very big difference between Dekkers and Sorsby in terms of their perceived talent and name recognition. The former went 4-8 as the starter at Iowa State in 2022. The latter was going to be paid ~$4 million to compete for a national title at Texas Tech after successful stints at Cincinnati and Indiana. It may not be necessary for Sorsby to prove his worth.
However, the blueprint exists.
If Dekkers was able to land on an NFL roster, Sorsby will have no problem getting signed in the spring— even if he does not play a single snap between now and then. But if he doesn’t want to sit out an entire year, there are options!