Four Random College Football Punishments That Were More Harsh Than Brendan Sorsby's

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby being deemed eligible for the 2026 season is one of the more shocking results in recent college football history.

Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Undoubtedly, the biggest story in college football right now centers around the eligibility status of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.

Ranked as the No. 1 player in the transfer portal by ESPN, the Red Raiders paid the former Cincinnati quarterback around $5 million to head to Lubbock. He quickly made Texas Tech the Big 12 favorites and College Football Playoff contenders, but all of those aspirations seem to have come to a screeching halt over the past month or so.

Following a bombshell development, Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it was revealed he had placed around $90,000 worth of wagers across four years, including some on his own team while he was a redshirt freshman at Indiana.

However, just one week after his hearing, Lubbock judge Ken Curry granted him a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing him to play. Sorsby will, however, sit for the team's first two games against Oregon State and Abilene Christian.

In layman's terms, Sorsby will miss two games in which Texas Tech will likely be double-digit favorites without him, despite a rule that has cost other people their careers across the sports world. So, let's take a look back at some of the more strict punishments around college football that have been frequently brought up over the past month.

It is worth noting that these were mostly NCAA-based punishments and aren't all exactly in the same category, but given the complexity of Sorsby's situation, it is interesting to see how things have changed.

Hunter Dekkers deemed ineligible for gambling

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers (12) warms up prior to a game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers was once viewed as an NFL prospect, but his career was severely derailed after he lost his eligibility for wagering a total of $2,799 during his time in Ames through a DraftKings account opened by his parents. Like Sorsby, Dekkers placed a bet on his football team when he wasn't actually playing, wagering $15 that the Cyclones would beat Oklahoma State in 2021.

Upon losing his eligibility, Dekkers finished his college career at Iowa Western Community College. He got an opportunity with the New Orleans Saints after going undrafted, and is now playing in the UFL for the Houston Gamblers.

Because of Dekkers, most assumed that Sorsby would face a similar fate, but the NCAA has frequently been on the wrong end of injunctions granted by local judges.

The time a YouTube channel cost a kicker his career

Brahmas’ Donald De La Haye (19) kicks the ball during the UFL game between the San Antonio Brahmas and Memphis Showboats. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Back before players were able to profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness, they also were not allowed to profit off of their athletic abilities at all. In 2017, UCF kicker Donald De La Haye was stripped of his scholarship for having a YouTube channel where he was known for trick shots. His channel was popular enough for him to monetize, but the NCAA gave the reserve kicker an ultimatum that he felt was an easy choice when speaking to ESPN at the time.

"They wanted me to give up my money that I made, which is crazy," De La Haye said via ESPN. "I worked hard for it and you just want me to throw my money away and take down my videos, which again, I worked so hard for and wasn't comfortable doing. So I told them no."

More commonly known as "Deestroying," De La Haye now has over 6.4 million subscribers on YouTube, and frequently racks up millions of views on his videos.

Ohio State's "Tattoogate"

Ohio State Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel waits to lead his team with quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2). | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Back in 2010, Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was informed that a handful of players were selling team-issued gear or memorabilia in exchange for free tattoos. As opposed to reporting it, Tressel ended up sweeping it under the rug, and even signed documents saying he wasn't aware of violations.

Headlined by starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the NCAA suspended the five players for the first five games of the 2010 season. The players also had to repay the money, with Pryor owing $2,500. In an effort to dodge the suspension, Pryor entered the NFL's supplemental draft, which is a route that many assumed Sorsby would be forced to take.

Ironically, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell only allowed the third-round pick to do so if he served a five-game suspension in the NFL.

Jim Harbaugh's "Burgergate"

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates during the trophy presentation. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jim Harbaugh certainly wasn't a Boy Scout during his time in Ann Arbor, as his tenure will forever be remembered for the sign-stealing scandal during the team's championship season. However, he did serve a three-game suspension that the program self-imposed after the head coach met with recruits during a dead period and purchased them food.

Similar to Sorsby's situation, Harbaugh didn't miss any relevant games as he was out for Michigan's clashes with East Carolina, Bowling Green and Rutgers, which the team won by a combined score of 96-16.

The Sorsby situation is still far from over, but it certainly will be a pivotal case for college football's future.