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Brendan Sorsby plans to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft this summer. In doing so, he avoids the possibility of being ruled ineligible for his senior year of college.
With that said, the decision does not guarantee he plays a game in 2026. The league has exercised its ability to suspend players that leave school to skirt NCAA punishment.
Will it do the same for Sorsby? A precedent has already been set.
Terrelle Pryor was suspended during his rookie year.
Pryor was one of five Ohio State football players suspended for the 2011 season after accepting improper benefits. The quarterback traded signatures for free tattoos. He also sold some of his Buckeye memorabilia, including a 2010 Big Ten Championship ring.
Pryor opted to avoid his five-game senior suspension by entering the Supplemental Draft. He gave up his final season of eligibility to go pro.
The NFL did not turn a blind eye.
“This smacks of a calculated effort to manipulate our eligibility rules in a way that undermines the integrity of, and public confidence in, those rules.”
-Roger Goodell
Instead, it forced him to serve the five-game suspension as a rookie. He signed a 4-year deal with the Raiders worth $2.7 million but was unable to join the team until its sixth game.
Brendan Sorsby’s infractions are far more serious. He broke the NCAA’s golden rule. Furthermore, they violated state law.
The passer gambled on college football games, including placing bets on his own team as a member of the Indiana Hoosiers. In all, it’s estimated he wagered upwards of $90,000 across four years. It sparked an investigation while putting his eligibility at risk.
Will Brendan Sorsby play in 2026?
That is yet to be determined. The plan was to stay at Texas Tech while cashing in on a $5 million NIL deal. He received an injunction from a Texas judge in June that provided a path to play despite the NCAA’s disapproval.
The Big 12 later filed a complaint in attempts to regain its authority to enforce its bylaws.
The league pushed for control. It discussed sanctioning Texas Tech, threatening to bar the school from competing in the conference championship.
The Big 12 and NCAA did not want Sorsby to compete in the 2026 season. They were overruled with the injunction but continued to push to have the decision overturned. In the end, the pressure forced the quarterback to the NFL.
Now, his next league will be responsible for pursuing punishment. Michael McCann of Sportico wrote a story suggesting Sorsby could be required to sit out his rookie year. That potential suspension would align with the NCAA’s thinking.
The NCAA determined that Sorsby’s betting was so problematic and pervasive that it warranted him ineligible to play. Using similar reasoning, the NFL could tell Sorsby to get his problems under control with proper counseling and seek the NFL via draft in 2027.
The league has been stern in its stance on gambling in the past. Players cannot bet on NFL games. Most recently, Calvin Ridley was suspended a full season for violating the policy.
Sorsby’s betting activity has been frowned upon by college leaders. NFL administrators likely hold a similar outlook. They can punish the quarterback if they choose.
With that being said, the league has also shown leniency in other situations.
Former LSU receiver Kayshon Boutte was found to have wagered on college football games while playing for the Tigers. Like Sorsby, he bet on his own team.
Boutte was drafted by the Patriots in 2023. He was arrested nine months later for his sports betting activity dating back to his time in Baton Rouge.
He was not suspended.
That may give Sorsby hope, but the situations are somewhat different. Boutte was already in the league when his crimes were uncovered. He did not attempt to skirt NCAA punishment by leaving school to join the NFL.
So, while Sorsby’s wrongdoing more closely resembles Boutte’s, his situation mirrors that of Terrelle Pryor.
Sorsby left college to avoid a potential suspension. We will now wait and see if the NFL drops the hammer.