Brendan Sorsby Will Reportedly Enter NFL Supplemental Draft, Former Texas Tech QB Releases Statement
Despite a judge restoring his collegiate eligibility with a temporary injunction after he was declared ineligible for gambling, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is reportedly headed to the NFL.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday the signal-caller is applying for the NFL’s supplemental draft and “could be the highest-drafted supplemental pick in decades.”
Pelissero provided additional context to the situation:
While the injunction could have caused complications with Sorsby’s eligibility for the supplemental draft because he was technically still eligible at the collegiate level, Pelissero reported on the next steps:
Sorsby released a statement that said: “I am grateful for the support from my family, my Tech coaching staff, teammates, the community, and so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue. As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the NFL declined comment on Sorsby’s application for the supplemental draft.
Texas Tech released multiple statements as well:
This comes after Stephen Hawkins of the Associated Press reported Monday that the NCAA and Big 12 each made separate court filings in regard to Sorsby.
The NCAA filed documents with the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas at Amarillo in an effort to stay the injunction that made the quarterback eligible. In the filing, it asked for a resolution by Aug. 28, which would have been ahead of the start of Texas Tech’s season on Sept. 5.
As for the Big 12, the conference filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Dallas in an effort to land a court order allowing it to potentially sanction Texas Tech if Sorsby had played during the upcoming campaign.
The filing named Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Tech leadership and said they were attempting to prevent the conference from using its own rules.
What’s more, the Big 12 board of directors released a statement that said, “The Big 12 has long spoken out about the dangers of sports wagering by student-athletes and remains committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition. Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.”
A group of Texas Tech leaders that included head football coach Joey McGuire and athletic director Kirby Hocutt released a 21-minute video message Thursday addressing the situation and defending the school:
Attention will now turn to the supplemental draft.
As Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated explained, it is “typically held for players that lost their remaining college eligibility after the deadline to enter the standard NFL draft has taken place” and has been a pathway for a handful of notable players to join the league.
Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, quarterback Bernie Kosar, wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Ahmad Brooks are among those who reached the NFL through the supplemental draft, which first happened in 1977 and has not taken place since 2023.
No team selected Jackson State’s Malachi Wideman or Purdue’s Milton Wright, who were the two players available in 2023.
The last time a player was taken in the supplemental draft came in 2019 when the Arizona Cardinals took Jalen Thompson.
But Sorsby could be a different story, as his on-field talent is not the question. After all, he was the No. 2 overall player in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings this past cycle when he left Cincinnati for Texas Tech.
