Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby under NCAA investigation for gambling

On Monday, April 27, Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby checked into a treatment program for gambling addiction, per college football insider Pete Thamel.

The ESPN report claims that Sorsby made “thousands of online bets,” including bets on Indiana football while he was a redshirt for the Hoosiers. Other reports added that Sorsby placed a significant number of live bets on Cincinnati Reds games.

In late 2025, the NCAA decided to rescind a previous ruling that allowed players to legally bet on professional sports. As such, student-athletes in all three divisions are banned from betting on any sports in which the NCAA “sponsors a championship,” which includes football and baseball.

All of this led to Sorsby entering a gambling addiction program and taking an official leave of absence from Texas Tech.

"We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help," Texas Tech head football coach Joey McGuire said in a statement. "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."

The NCAA is investigating the claims, but due to confidentiality rules will not comment on the investigation.

"The NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition,” the NCAA said in a statement. “The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever reports are received."

In 2024, multiple student-athletes at Iowa and Iowa State lost all or part of their eligibility after being found guilty of gambling on NCAA-regulated games. If the reports are true, Sorsby is guilty of betting on both games he participated in and professional-level sports.

“History tells us it would be very difficult for Brendan Sorsby to regain eligibility,” Thamel said on SportsCenter on Monday.

Just months prior, the fifth-year senior committed to play for the Red Raiders as one of the highest-rated players in the transfer portal. His estimated going price in the portal was $5 million, which the reigning Big 12 champions were happy to pay.

Texas Tech transfer QB Brendan Sorsby has checked into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech on a reported $5M NIL deal, is under NCAA investigation for allegedly making thousands of bets via a gambling app, per @espn. pic.twitter.com/lG17ezzOOF
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 27, 2026

Texas Tech went 12-2 in 2025, making the College Football Playoff for the first time. The Red Raiders were led by Behren Morton, who was drafted on Saturday by the New England Patriots. Sorsby had a strong 2025 of his own, throwing 28 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions, legging out an additional nine touchdowns as he led the Bearcats to a 7-5 record.

With Sorsby, Texas Tech was a favorite to repeat as Big 12 champs. Without him, Texas Tech’s future becomes murky, as backup quarterback Will Hammond is recovering from a torn ACL.

The freshman played in parts of five games last season, completing 63% of passes with 680 yards and seven touchdowns, adding another five on the ground. Hammond will likely not be ready to suit up for the season opener versus Abilene Christian on Sept. 5.

Many sites have begun speculating that Sorsby may enter the NFL supplemental draft. It’s an uncommon NFL tradition, as only 46 players have been drafted with a supplemental pick since 1977. In recent years, the NFL has entirely skipped it. Should Sorsby try to enter, however, it would give NFL teams the chance to place a bid on the quarterback, and in turn forfeit a pick in next year’s draft.

For instance, if the Indianapolis Colts decided that they would be willing to spend a third-round pick on Sorsby, and no other team goes lower, the Colts would get Sorsby and thus lose their third-rounder in 2027.

That opens another can of worms, as Texas Tech paid an exorbitant amount to get the Cincinnati transfer. Sorsby has already been mired in financial controversy with his former team, which sued him $1 million for violating the terms of his NIL deal when he left for Lubbock. Amidst everything else on Monday, Sorsby filed a motion to dismiss Cincinnati's case against him.

As the NCAA investigation persists, the likelihood of Sorsby taking the field for Texas Tech appears doubtful.

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