Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby Enters Rehab for Gambling Addiction As NCAA Investigates Betting

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is entering residential rehab for a gambling addiction, he announced Monday afternoon.

“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire said in a program release. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel later confirmed to On3’s Pete Nakos by the organization, the NCAA is investigating Sorsby after discovering he made thousands of online bets on various sports—including bets on Indiana football during the 2022 season, when he played one game for the Hoosiers. He bet on Indiana to win, and did not appear in the games on which he bet.

“Sorsby's gambling has not drawn the attention of law enforcement, according to sources, nor has he been linked to anyone attempting to influence the outcome of a game,” Thamel wrote.

The stunning development comes after Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to deep-pocketed conference rival Texas Tech in the offseason. With the Bearcats, Sorbsy threw for 27 touchdowns against five interceptions and led the Big 12 in passer rating.

The Red Raiders, who won the Big 12 and played in the Orange Bowl last year, are scheduled to open the 2026 campaign against Abilene Christian on Aug. 31.

Texas Tech expected big things of Sorsby on the field this season

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby warms up before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs. — Brendan Sorsby was one of the Big 12’s most productive quarterbacks for Cincinnati in 2025. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The quarterback has traversed a long and winding road through college football. After redshirting for the Hoosiers in ’22, he played 10 games for Indiana in coach Tom Allen’s final season. Coach Curt Cignetti’s arrival in November 2023 hastened Sorsby’s transfer to Cincinnati, where he played two solid seasons and made a bowl game in 2025.

On Dec. 15, Sorsby entered the transfer portal, and a number of national contenders reportedly took interest in the Dallas native. After visiting coach Lane Kiffin’s LSU program, Sorsby committed to play for McGuire and the Red Raiders. The quarterback thrived in Texas Tech’s annual spring game, throwing three touchdown passes in the scrimmage.

Sorsby’s announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of the 2020s gambling boom’s social effects

The Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. NCAA in May 2018 paved the way for the legalization of sports gambling throughout the United States, and the aftershocks of that decision (and the lack of regulation in its wake) are still being felt across sports. Major League Baseball and the NBA have endured a number of negative gambling-related headlines in recent years, and 17 college basketball teams were caught up in wide-ranging indictments in January.

The phenomenon has not been limited to sports, as prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket have popularized gambling on events—and drawn the ire of lawmakers in the process. On Thursday, the Department of Justice charged Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke with allegedly making $400,000 on a bet related to the United States’ Jan. 3 arrest of ex-Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro.

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