Quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s short career at Texas Tech is over. On Monday night, Sorsby announced he would pursue the NFL’s Supplemental Draft and will withdraw a lawsuit against the NCAA. That news came just a week after Sorsby was granted an injunction to play in ‘26 by a Texas judge after the Cincinnati transfer was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after violating rules around gambling.
The news of Sorsby opting for the supplemental draft came as a bit of a surprise after Texas Tech spent the last week defending the senior and planned to allow him to suit up in ‘26 after a two-game suspension was served against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
What’s the impact of Sorsby’s departure to the NFL Supplement Draft on college football, the Big 12 and Texas Tech? Athlon Sports breaks down the domino effect of this decision.
What’s Next for Texas Tech, Big 12 After Brendan Sorsby Enters Supplemental Draft
With Sorsby, Texas Tech was a clear favorite to win the Big 12 and projected to rank as a top-10 team in ‘26.
Without Sorsby, the Red Raiders are still the team to beat in the Big 12. However, Athlon Sports has dropped McGuire’s team a few spots to outside of the top 10 in the preseason power ratings.
Does that gap in projection open the door for the Big 12 to potentially get a second team into the College Football Playoff? BYU has been on the door step of the playoff in back-to-back years. Utah and Houston will also factor into the conference title mix. And of course, this is the Big 12. More chaos could be coming with a surprise contender or two.
Sorsby was worth a few points to Texas Tech’s overall team rating or projected spreads for each game. But without him, the Red Raiders are still in the driver’s seat. BYU, Houston and Utah still have a gap to McGuire’s team. However, anything can happen in a one-game conference title scenario. The rest of the Big 12 should feel better about its playoff hopes after Sorsby's departure.
