Report: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby hires attorney to protect NCAA eligibility

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, under investigation for sports gambling, has hired attorney Jeffrey Kessler to protect his college eligibility, ESPN reported on Saturday.

Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati this offseason, is entering a treatment program for a gambling addiction and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team, the quarterback and his current school announced on Monday.

Kessler was lead attorney in the House vs. NCAA case, which was approved in June 2025 and led to revenue sharing in college athletics. Schools were able to share $20.5 million with athletes beginning last July 1, with the amount increasing annually.

A prominent antitrust attorney, Kessler has represented the NFL Players Association on behalf of players such as Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice.

NCAA rules forbid collegiate athletes from betting on any sport (collegiate or professional) for which the NCAA sponsors a championship. Sorsby reportedly bet on college football and MLB games.

This could lead to him being deemed ineligible for the 2026 season, pending the NCAA's active investigation.

Sorsby has placed more than 10,000 sports betting wagers since 2022, according to a report from On3. He was averaging as many as 20 bets per day on a variety of different sportsbook apps across multiple states, per On3.

This reportedly included betting on Indiana games in 2022 when he was redshirting during his first year of college. ESPN reported Monday that all of the bets were on Indiana to win and none were on the game he played in -- a 45-14 loss to 16th-ranked Penn State.

Sorsby, ESPN's top-ranked transfer in this year's class, threw for 5,613 yards, 45 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons for the Bearcats. He also ran for 1,027 yards and 18 touchdowns in 24 games.

--Field Level Media