Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was on his way to having a compelling career. Now, an NCAA gambling investigation has made him ineligible, and the June 22 deadline stands between him and any professional football future in 2026. 

Pro Football Talk host Mike Florio sort of raised the possibility that the NCAA might block Sorsby from going for a professional alternative entirely.

"I could see some [NCAA] bureaucrat at the NCAA deciding that because of what he did, he shouldn't be allowed to use an escape hatch to the NFL that the punishment isn't effective if he gets to go run to the NFL and play," Florio said on PFT Live. 

The NCAA has used eligibility rulings in the past to ensure consequences matter. “If Sorsby can just get away from the sanctions of college football by going into the NFL Supplemental Draft, then the punishment has no deterrent effect at all,” the reasoning goes. 

Sorsby’s legal team, led by sports lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, filed an injunction in Lubbock County, Texas, asking the court to order an immediate NCAA eligibility ruling. 

The case of RB LeGarrette Blount is often used as an example of how missing a full college season can affect a player’s draft position.

Blount was suspended for most of the 2009 season at the University of Oregon following an on-field altercation after a game against Boise State, and the extended absence ultimately hurt his visibility ahead of the 2010 NFL Draft.

That worst-case scenario is exactly what Sorsby’s legal team is trying to avoid, and this week, they took matters into their own hands. 

Texas Tech QB Sorsby Takes NCAA to Court Over Eligibility

With the NCAA allegedly dragging its feet on a ruling, Sorsby’s legal team took the matter to court this week to compel a ruling. Sorsby has filed a lawsuit in Lubbock County against the NCAA seeking an emergency injunction to reinstate his 2026 season eligibility. 

ESPN's Pete Thamel, talking on The Pat McAfee Show, said it was the sport's "biggest story heading into the season." 

"In terms of on-field storylines, Pat, I don't think there's a bigger one than the status and eligibility of Brendan Sorsby," Thamel said on The Pat McAfee Show.

Sorsby wrote in his affidavit that he was putting down small amounts, like $5 to $50, on Indiana football during his freshman year before his time at Cincinnati and the later transfer to Texas Tech.

He also said he never bet against the Hoosiers, nor did he use inside information.

"My bets were purely intended to make me feel more connected to the game and my teammates," Sorsby said.

Sorsby’s attorneys asked for a June 15 hearing to catch up with the June 22 Supplemental Draft deadline.

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Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Rudra Dubey