Brendan Sorsby: A Bet I'm Not Willing to Make
The standout Cincinnati Bearcat planned to take over for Behren Morton at Texas Tech... most likely because he wasn't considered a first-round pick.
One of the biggest offseason storylines in college football — and now the NFL — is the Brendan Sorsby betting scandal. After rejecting a trip to the NFL in favor of a transfer to Texas Tech for a run at a potential national championship… and a boatload of NIL money. The decision to head back to school was a sound one at the time. Sorsby wasn’t considered a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft (more on this later), and another year of film in a system that fit him, with exceptional talent around him, would have put him on a path to the first round. Much of the conversation surrounding Sorsby since news of his betting surfaced has been “this kid is a locked-in first-round pick according to the league,” but that reality is difficult to believe given how his offseason decisions played out.
Now that Sorsby has officially filed to enter into the NFL’s supplemental draft, we have more 2026 NFL Draft evaluation on our hands. While the NFL hasn’t yet announced a date for the supplemental draft, it must be completed at least one week before training camps, meaning the latest it will be is mid-July. Sorsby is expected to host a Pro Day to entice teams to select him, and there’s a lot of buzz about where he could land.
Before the scandal, as we got into summer scouting, I had Sorsby rated as a day-two pick, at best, with upside to improve on some of his major flaws and push into top-50 range. Here’s why I simply wouldn’t bet on him becoming a star NFL player.
How He Wins
Off-Structure Playmaking
Sorsby is a great athlete with an elastic arm and the ability to make impressive plays on the run to both sides, extend plays with crafty scrambling, and even be a threat on the ground. Sorsby had over 1200 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground during his four-year college career, and he has legitimate speed to threaten defenses on sprintouts, option plays, and other designed quarterback runs. He doesn’t profile as an elite athlete with above-average tackle-breaking ability, but he is creative as a runner and picks up a ton of yards on the ground.
His ability to extend plays does separate him from the group of quarterbacks he would’ve been competing with in the 2027 NFL Draft, with some obvious exceptions. He is comfortable throwing when rolling to both sides, and he displays great accuracy when he’s on the move. In fact, he thrives in this environment a little too much (more on this later). There’s some backyard football to his game that could excite teams that are looking for the next Patrick Mahomes. Those teams would be largely disappointed by what I’ll say in the next big section, alas.
Above-Average Arm Talent
Sorsby has an awesome arm, with the ability to change arm angles, throw on the move, and zip into windows. While the arm comes and goes more frequently than preferred, his ability to generate power without a ton of leg drive is impressive. There’s a throw against Utah where Sorsby has to sprint out of the pocket due to pressure. After getting clear, he stops, plants, but doesn’t use much leg at all, before firing a ball 25 yards on a line into the perfect spot. The ability to make plays like that only comes with excellent arm talent, and it’s what made him such an intriguing prospect heading into what was supposed to be his final college season.
Flashes of Pinpoint Accuracy
While his arm talent is impressive, it’s combined with flashes of truly elite accuracy, placing balls in perfect spots downfield. I want to stress that these are still simply flashes, as he can sail balls, misfire on easy ones, and struggle at times. Still, the flashes are remarkable, and finding some consistency could have shot him up boards next spring.
