Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby intends to enter the NFL supplemental draft ahead of the 2026 season, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The supplemental draft has not been used since 2023, and no player has been selected in it since 2019, when the Arizona Cardinals used a fifth-round bid on safety Jalen Thompson. The last quarterback to enter the supplemental draft was Terrelle Pryor, who drew a third-round bid in 2011. The supplemental draft is scheduled to occur later this summer.
Sorsby acknowledged placing bets on multiple sports and completed an in‑patient rehabilitation program for a gambling addiction, ESPN reported. The NCAA denied his request for reinstatement in May. A Texas judge, Ken Curry, granted Sorsby a temporary injunction on June 8 that appeared to make him eligible for the 2026 college season, but backlash and legal challenges followed and he opted to pursue the professional route, Thamel wrote.
Thamel reported swift reaction from the college landscape after the injunction, with some Big 12 schools discussing boycotting Texas Tech games and programs such as Georgia and Nebraska forbidding new scheduling with the Red Raiders. The Big 12 filed a federal lawsuit seeking declaratory judgment and injunctive relief, and the NCAA asked the Lubbock County District Court to rule on its appeal before the college season begins.
The NCAA initially ruled Sorsby ineligible after investigators found he wagered roughly $90,000 on professional and college sports across four years, including about 40 bets tied to Indiana football when he was a freshman at that school, according to ESPN. Sorsby had until June 22 to declare for the NFL supplemental draft and chose to enter the process rather than risk losing college eligibility after that deadline.
Sorsby entered 2026 as one of the most prominent transfer prospects after moving from Cincinnati to Texas Tech. ESPN listed him as the No. 1 player in the NCAA transfer portal rankings following a 2025 season in which he threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns and was expected to be among the highest-paid college players at more than $5 million.
Dan Graziano of ESPN explained the supplemental draft order is determined by a weighted lottery, broken into three lotteries based on teams’ records, using a ping‑pong–ball system. Teams then submit bids on players; for example, a club could place a third‑round bid for a player such as Sorsby, Graziano wrote. ESPN also compiled responses from eight experts who addressed key questions about the situation and what may come next.
