Brendan Sorsby, the former Texas Tech quarterback who was effectively exiled from ever playing for the Red Raiders in 2026, now faces a similar predicament in the National Football League (NFL).
On Tuesday, the NFL elected not to host a supplemental draft this year. The league occasionally hosts a supplemental draft for college players with unique circumstances, such as lost eligibility due to academic, disciplinary or other specific life reasons.
Sorsby's circumstances are straightforward, as he admitted to betting thousands of times on college and pro sports, with bets totaling upwards of $90,000. Those bets included 40 bets on the Indiana Hoosiers while a member of the team.
However, the NFL's decided against the draft because it ultimately could become onerous for teams to prepare for a draft they never intended to hold.
"The League has not conducted such a draft for several years and, prior to your submission, the League had no plans to do so this year, as no other player has sought entry. Your Petition—filed three business days before the deadline, without any supporting information or documentation, and only after abandoning your recent litigation efforts to avoid NCAA sanctions—does not provide a basis for the League to alter those plans," wrote Larry Ferazani, the general counsel of the NFL Management Council, in a letter sent to Sorsby and his representation. "The issues presented by your Petition are too significant, and too closely tied to the League's core integrity interests, to permit meaningful review within the timeline presented"
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter, Sorsby's attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, said the NFL's decision not to hold a supplemental draft "is a violation of the CBA and the law. We will pursue this immediately with the NFLPA."
"Your Petition does not address these matters. Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League's rules and policies governing the integrity of competition," Ferazani wrote. "Instead, even after receiving notice of the NCAA's decision rescinding your college eligibility in May, you sought to avoid the consequences of that determination through litigation rather than accepting responsibility for your actions, and you pursued entry into the NFL only after abandoning those efforts."
Sorsby's options are now limited but could include playing in the Canadian Football League, which is already in week four of a season that runs into late October. The United Football League's season begins in 2027 and would likely kick off in March. Sorsby is considered ineligible by the NCAA but could possibly play collegiate football in the NAIA instead.
"Some school might give him a chance for a year," an assistant coach at an NAIA school told Chron. "But many schools in our league want to eventually join the NCAA, and signing Sorsby could make that more difficult."
There are quarterbacks who had to step away from football for more than a year and still went on to have careers in the NFL. The most notable person on that list is Chad Hutchinson, who played four years of collegiate (Stanford) and professional baseball (St. Louis Cardinals) before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. Hutchinson would play in 15 games across three seasons.
Sorsby will likely still be drafted in 2027 if he enters the draft, but not being able to play against high-level competition could ultimately hurt his stock.