Texas Tech, the reigning Big 12 Conference champions and odds-on favorites to run it back in 2026 with back-to-back league titles, is officially without their starting quarterback with news releasing that Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby would not be granted eligibility by the NCAA after admitting to gambling while enrolled at Indiana and Cincinnati.
Sources: The NCAA has denied Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s request for reinstatement for eligibility for the 2026 season. Sorsby has completed his 35-day in-patient rehab for his gambling addiction at Algamus in Goodyear, Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Ts1p3juEI9
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 26, 2026
It's bad luck for the Red Raiders, who were certainly unaware of their quarterback's gambling problem before making a multi-million dollar investment for him to become QB1 in Lubbock.
The entire saga was wild, as stories released that Sorsby had gambled on Indiana University football games while he watched from the sideline, to impulsively betting on international events at an alarmingly high rate.
Despite Sorsby's fascinating strategy of pleading his gambling was done to bring himself closer to his team -- I don't think anyone is buying that one -- he was checked into a rehab facility and banned from competing in the 2026 football season by the NCAA.
Sports gambling is a plague spreading rapidly through the entertainment space, and it's inevitable to see more and more athletes, executives, coaches, referees, or anyone involved in these games becoming involved in the frenzy. Internal gambling damages a league's reputation, and calls into question the validity of competition. It's unsurprising, therefore, to see the NCAA take a stance of zero tolerance against Sorsby's actions -- they can't afford to open that floodgate.
Not to make light of the situation, but from a competition standpoint, Sorsby's absence at Texas Tech is fantastic news for last season's runners-up, the BYU Cougars. BYU, returning last season's Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, LJ Martin, starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier, and the third-highest returning snap percentage metric in the NCAA, are ready to take another shot at the Tech squad that delivered the Cougars' only losses of the season and consequently locked BYU out of the College Football Playoff.
Without their starting quarterback, and now relying on Will Hammond, last season's backup who is currently recovering from a season-ending ACL tear, should make Tech fans very concerned about their team's potential to fall in 2026. Hammond is a very good quarterback -- he proved that against Utah in Salt Lake City last season -- but recovering from such a severe injury without much experience as the first-stringer is a daunting task for anyone.
Tech's defense should be as strong as ever, and that was the Cougars' main struggle in the pair's head-to-head meetings over 2025, but without an offense to pair alongside, the Red Raiders are feeling the heat.
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