A gambling scandal and sudden NFL departure leave Texas Tech reeling, clearing a path for Kalani Sitake’s veteran squad to dominate the conference and launch a revenge tour.
The BYU Cougars came out of spring ball as one of the favorites in the Big 12 conference. However, the Texas Tech Red Raiders stood firm in the way after beating Kalani Sitake's team twice last year. Not only did it happen in a 29-day span, but kept the Cougars on the outside of the College Football Playoff race.
Texas Tech did an outstanding job working the transfer portal by picking up top quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The $5 million man kept the Red Raiders as the team to beat in the 2026 season. Five months later, Sorsby declares for the NFL Supplemental Draft after a gambling scandal rocks the program. So where does this news leave Tech and BYU in the Big 12 race?
With Sorsby now out at Texas Tech, the Cougars definitely move up with a significant opportunity to prove they're now the team to beat early in the season.
Here's how BYU's early schedule will be key. The Cougars' first three games carry the most interest in terms of the Big 12 race because they'll face Arizona in Week 2. The contest is sandwiched between a home opener against Utah Tech and traveling to Colorado State in Week 3. The back-to-back stretch with TCU and against Iowa State will serve as warm-ups for the Notre Dame showdown on Oct. 17.
We'll have a pretty clear indication of where BYU will stand after facing the Fighting Irish. Last year's Playoff hopeful, who got skipped over in favor of the Miami Hurricanes, will be looking to stage a revenge tour in 2026, but have to play mistake-free in Provo. BYU should be favored in the final six games of the season and won't face Texas Tech unless it's in the Big 12 Championship, which could still happen without Sorsby. But it's less likely without him being under center in Lubbock.
This is high-stakes Big 12 football at its best. BYU has to avoid trap games and injuries during the upcoming season to survive until the end. Sitake has to feel good about his team's chances right now, especially with Sorsby out of competition for good.
The now former Red Raiders signal-caller, who never took an official snap with the team, enters the NFL Supplemental Draft and will learn his fate soon. After placing over 9,000 bets to the tune of $90,000 during his college career, Texas Tech and a Lubbock judge supported his efforts to remain eligible in 2026. But the Big 12 stood united with at least three state attorney generals in bringing legal action against Sorsby and Texas AG Ken Paxton.
In the end, Sorsby's fight hit a roadblock with his best option being to turn pro.
