A Texas judge’s injunction bypasses NCAA denials, reinstating the Red Raiders quarterback after a high-stakes gambling scandal threatened to end his collegiate career following the 2025 season.
Just when it looked like the fate of Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby was set, a critical ruling has now revived his chances of taking the NCAA field again in 2026.
The ongoing and increasingly exhaustive battle features a passer who is fighting for another year of eligibility. One of the largest gambling scandals to hit the Association originally threatened to keep him off the field for the season..
The latest development in the saga has a Lubbock County judge granting the requested injunction in favor of Sorsby, reopening his eligibility for the year. This is on the heels of the NCAA denying a request to do so from Texas Tech via appeal. Sorsby is now on track to lead the way for the Red Raiders this upcoming season.
For more on how the situation has played out so far, what's next and what it all means for Texas Tech football, Red Raider Roundtable writer Nathan Karseno has more.
The decision is a surprising one, not because a judge in Texas ruled in favor of something that helps a Texas team, but because it could establish the first scenario under which a player was dismissed for illegal gambling, including betting on a team on which he was rostered, and still reinstated at the NCAA level.
In previous high-profile situations, as with former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, players have had to head to other leagues to find playing time.
Dekkers finished his collegiate eligibility with Iowa Western, part of the NJCAA, which is the governing body of junior colleges. Sorsby may have been forced to go the route of the NFL's supplemental draft if not able to return to Texas Tech. This option would still require the NFL to approve launching such a draft this year, which it has not since 2019.
As of now, Sorsby is on pace to return to the field in 2026, but the long road thus far hasn't lacked for twists and turns, so more hurdles in the near future would be far from surprising.
