There’s a chance Brendan Sorsby’s college football career could be over, and if that happens, there may be a path for the Texas Tech quarterback to enter the NFL this summer.
Sorsby is currently under investigation by the NCAA for gambling. He allegedly wagered on several collegiate sporting events, including at least one Indiana game in 2022 while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster, per multiple reports. The NCAA has a strict policy against gambling, and anyone found to have bet on their own team can “potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”
With the NCAA’s strict policy in place, it’s possible Sorsby could be ruled permanently ineligible. If that happens, it could open the door for him to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft.Â
What is the supplemental draft?Â
Every NFL fan knows about the draft in April, but not every fan knows about the supplemental draft. This draft, generally held in late June or early July, is open to players who expected to play college football but suddenly find themselves ineligible for various reasons.Â
From the NFL rulebook:
If such player participates in spring football or other team-related activities at his school, or otherwise indicates that he intends to return to college to play football, he is not eligible for selection in the Principal Draft. If he subsequently fails to become eligible for participation in the following college football season, he may apply for a Supplemental Draft, if the League elects to schedule one.
That final sentence is notable because the NFL doesn’t hold a supplemental draft every year. In fact, the league hasn’t held one since July 2023, and no player has been selected in one since the Cardinals took Jalen Thompson in 2019.Â
Since the first supplemental draft in 1977, only 46 players have been selected over 49 years, though some became major names, including Bernie Kosar, Josh Gordon and Hall of Famer Cris Carter.Â
The process for making a pick in the supplemental draft differs from the regular draft. Like the standard draft, it includes seven rounds, but teams make blind bids. If Team A bids on Sorsby in the first round and no other team submits a higher bid, Team A would land Sorsby but forfeit its corresponding first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Â
The order also differs. Teams are divided into three groups based on the previous season’s results: non-playoff teams with six or fewer wins, non-playoff teams with more than six wins and playoff teams. Within each group, draft order is determined by weighted lottery, with worse teams receiving better odds.Â
How likely is Sorsby to reach the supplemental draft?Â
Although Sorsby would likely qualify, there’s no guarantee the NFL would approve him to enter. Given the gambling allegations, CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported that league sources view approval as highly unlikely.
“If he wanted to apply to the NFL for the supplemental draft, folks I talked to believe he would not be approved,” Jones said. “So the supplemental draft seems like an extremely unlikely pathway this summer. And here’s why: The NFL is obviously very hard on those who gamble on NFL games … If you are in the NFL and you do bet on your team — win or lose — you are banned a minimum of two years. That’s how seriously the league takes this.”
Even if Sorsby gained approval, a team would still need to draft him, which could prove equally difficult.Â
“The NFL gets to decide whether they allow him into the supplemental draft, and then, a team has to determine whether they would take Brendan Sorsby with all of this happening,” Jones said. “I had one high-ranking team executive tell me on Monday that [Sorsby] is, frankly, untouchable right now.”
What precedent exists for Sorsby’s NFL path?
Of course, it’s possible Sorsby could still gain entry into the supplemental draft. The NFL may choose to offer him a second chance, likely with the understanding that severe penalties would follow if he violated the league’s gambling policy.Â
The league could also suspend him before he ever takes an NFL snap. In 2011, Terrelle Pryor entered the supplemental draft and, after the Raiders selected him, rreceived a five-game suspension for NCAA violations committed at Ohio State.Â
Pryor’s case, however, did not involve gambling. Still, the NFL has dealt with younger players facing gambling-related concerns, so precedent exists.Â
In January 2024, Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrested for allegedly placing more than 8,000 wagers while in college, including at least 17 involving LSU football. Six months later, Louisiana dropped the charges, and Boutte avoided NFL discipline.Â
In January 2026, Boutte detailed his gambling addiction in The Players’ Tribune.
“I gambled until I was completely broke,” Boutte wrote. “When it was all said and done, I put in around $90,000 of my own money, and lost it all.”
Since the charges were dropped, Boutte has had no known gambling-related issues. He has now completed three NFL seasons and is coming off a Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots, finishing second on the team with six touchdown catches.Â
For a case more similar to Sorsby’s, former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers may offer the better comparison. Dekkers was permanently ruled ineligible by the NCAA for gambling in 2023, later played at Iowa Western Community College and eventually signed with the Saints in 2025. If Sorsby is banned and denied supplemental draft entry, he could potentially follow a similar path.Â
Sorsby announced Monday that he is stepping away from Texas Tech football to enter a gambling addiction program.Â
Before the gambling investigation surfaced, Sorsby was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft (we had him going No. 8 overall in our way-too-early mock), and that outlook could still hold if he’s ultimately cleared to play this season. However, if the NCAA imposes a ban, teams could soon face a far more complicated decision about whether his talent outweighs the significant off-field risk.
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