Texas Tech University QB Checks Himself Into Rehab Over Gambling Addiction
One of the top players in college football has admitted he has a gambling problem, and it could cost him millions of dollars.
According to ESPN, Texas Tech University announced Monday that prize transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby has checked into a rehab facility.
Texas Tech “is committed to supporting Brendan through his recovery process and to ensure his long-term health and well-being,” the university said in a statement.
Sources described Sorsby’s gambling as “a steady flurry of small bets over a period of time,” according to ESPN. The quarterback, a senior, according to the Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal, placed bets on multiple sports via an online gambling app.
Notwithstanding the size of the bets, Sorsby, 22, has placed his NCAA eligibility in jeopardy.
As a redshirt freshman with the Indiana Hoosiers in 2022, Sorsby bet on his own team to win. He only appeared in one game that season, and none of his bets applied to that game, according to ESPN.
Still, the NCAA’s rules against gambling mean that Sorsby faces tall odds if he hopes to retain his NCAA eligibility. After all, wagering on one’s own school’s sports, according to NCAA guidelines, means “permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports,” ESPN reported.
“We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said in a statement. “Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health.”
Indeed, McGuire and the Red Raiders loved Sorsby enough to enter a three-way bidding war and pay him more than $5 million to secure the former University of Cincinnati quarterback’s services as a transfer for the 2026 season, per CBS Sports.
At Cincinnati in 2025, Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. He added another 580 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
In the wake of Texas Tech’s announcement on Monday, the possible costs of Sorsby’s gambling have come into focus.
The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh concluded on Saturday. Since then, many outlets have already begun looking ahead to what is expected to be a loaded 2027 draft class.
On Sunday, for instance — one day before the announcement — CBS Sports published a mock draft that projected Sorsby as the 2027 NFL Draft’s eighth overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
By Tuesday, however, things had changed. Monday’s news compelled other outlets to penalize the young quarterback. Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated, for instance, published mock drafts on Tuesday that showed Sorbsy falling out of the first round altogether.
According to the sports salary-focused website Spotrac, the eighth overall pick in the 2026 draft can expect to earn more than $32 million over the life of his four-year rookie contract.
By contrast, a player who falls out of the first round altogether will likely make no more than $13.4 million.
Sitting out the 2026 season would also cost Sorsby a year of development. At this early stage, one can only speculate how NFL teams would factor that into their evaluations of the quarterback.
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