In a surprising twist, Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby now intends to enter the NFL supplemental draft ahead of the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Sorsby admitted to placing bets on a variety of sports and completed in-patient rehab for a gambling addiction. The NCAA denied his request for reinstatement in May, but a Texas judge granted him a temporary injunction in early June, making him eligible for the 2026 college football season. But amid a Big 12 lawsuit against Texas Tech and backlash around his eligibility, Sorsby ultimately opted to head to the NFL.
The NFL hasn't had a supplemental draft since 2023, and no one has been selected in one since 2019, when the Cardinals picked safety Jalen Thompson with a fifth-round bid. The last quarterback to enter the supplemental draft was Terrelle Pryor, who was a third-round bid in 2011 for the Raiders. The league still needs to approve Sorsby's application for there to be a 2026 supplemental draft, which would take place sometime later this summer.
There are obviously a lot of questions to be answered. How did we get here, and how does the supplemental draft even work? What is Sorsby's value, and which teams might be active? We tagged eight experts to answer eight questions about this entire situation and what might be next.
Jump to: Why is Sorsby here? | How does this work? Where does he excel? | What's his value? Which teams should be interested? Is there precedent? | What now for Tech?
How did we get here?
Pete Thamel, college football insider: Judge Ken Curry stunned the college football world on June 8 when he granted a temporary injunction that seemed to clear the way for Sorsby to play for Texas Tech in 2026. The blowback was swift from all corners. Almost immediately, fellow Big 12 schools talked about boycotting Tech games, while other athletic departments, such as Georgia and Nebraska, forbid all of their teams from scheduling new games against the Red Raiders. The NCAA used it as Exhibit A for why the Protect College Sports Act needed to be passed.