The clock is ticking for Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Which is prompting Sorsby to seek answers, sooner rather than later.
Via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Sorsby’s lawyers have requested from the NCAA an expedited resolution to his attempt to have his eligibility reinstated. The attorneys, per the report, also told the NCAA that a legal challenge is “imminent.”
Sorsby’s status fell into uncertainty over an apparent gambling addiction, which prompted him to seek in-patient treatment. Two weeks ago, reports surfaced that Sorsby has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to assist with his effort to move his football career forward.
The stakes are high. Sorsby has a seven-figure NIL deal, premised on playing college football in 2026. If he’s not going to be permitted to play college football, he needs to have a fair chance to timely apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft.
Addictions often result in specific behaviors that create tangible consequences. Sorsby must balance his willingness to accept fair consequences for his behavior with his right to show that he has resolved the situation and deserves an opportunity to continue his career, at one level or another.
A delay could result in Sorsby ending up in football purgatory for 2026. He’s entitled to know quickly whether the NCAA will or won’t let him play. Then, he’s entitled to fair treatment from the NFL, which hopefully won’t give in to the temptation to find a way to freeze Sorsby out in order to placate the NCAA.
When Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor entered the supplemental draft in 2011, the league selected an outcome that simulated the NCAA’s suspension of Pryor and then worked backward to justify it. If/when Sorsby enters the supplemental draft, he should receive a clean slate and a fair shake to be drafted and then to compete.