Well, it looks like the NCAA isn’t going to be helping the Texas Tech football program out any. The Red Raiders reportedly received a crushing (but not unexpected) ruling from the NCAA as it denied transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s request for eligibility to play in the 2026 football season.
According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, sources informed him that the NCAA has chosen to deny Sorsby’s “request for reinstatement for eligibility for the 2026 season.” Which, you know, that’s not ideal for Sorsby, Joey McGuire, or the Texas Tech Red Raiders. As Thamel noted, Sorsby has already completed the 35-day in-patient rehab program for gambling addiction at a facility in Arizona.
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
But that apparently wasn’t enough for the NCAA to change its mind. The Red Raiders are now currently without their expected starting quarterback for the coming 2026 college football season.
Texas Tech receives frustrating (but not unexpected) ruling from the NCAA regarding Brendan Sorsby’s eligibility for 2026
Sorsby arrived at Texas Tech as the replacement for Behren Morton, who is off to the NFL via the Draft, as Will Hammond is still recovering from a season-ending knee injury. While Hammond recovers and rests, Texas Tech needed someone capable of stepping in and driving Mack Leftwich’s offense. Thus the Red Raiders courted Sorsby away from the Cincinnati Bearcats.
In 2025, Sorsby was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 as he threw for 2800 yards and 27 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He also added another 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. In his career, Sorsby has thrown for 7208 yards and 60 touchdowns while running for 1295 yards and 22 scores.
Now the Red Raiders have to figure out how to move forward. How quickly will Hammond be available? Obviously rushing his recovery would be foolish (and dangerous) and that’s something Texas Tech cannot and should not do. Is Kirk Francis a viable option for the Red Raiders? The transfer from Tulsa might be able to step in for Texas Tech as Hammond recovers.
He’s set to return to campus in the upcoming days. His court date is June 1 in Lubbock County.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 26, 2026
The most immediate thing that will happen is Sorsby’s legal battle against the NCAA. There’s a court date set for June 1 in Lubbock County. We’ll see how that plays out. If Sorsby's not able to play following the legal mess with the NCAA, then it'll be interesting to see how McGuire and Leftwich move forward with the offense.
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