Well shit.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report that Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has checked into a residential treatment program for a gambling addition:
According to sources, Sorsby bet on Indiana football while redshirting for the Hoosiers as a true freshman in 2022, a season in which he played in a single game as a reserve. The bets in 2022, according to sources, were on Indiana to win and none came in a game in which Sorsby appeared.
Sorsby’s gambling has not drawn the attention of law enforcement, according to sources, nor has he been linked to anyone attempting to influence the outcome of a game. Sorsby’s gambling, sources said, was a steady flurry of small bets over a period of time.
There’s no timetable for Sorsby’s treatment, as sources say that his situation is being treated as a mental health matter and that Sorsby will be afforded all the time he needs. His decision as a high-profile college athlete to enter a facility to treat his gambling addiction while enrolled is unprecedented.
I’m not sure how to tackle this. The report is that Sorsby gambled in 2022 during his freshman season at Indiana where he played in 1 game and also bet on Indiana to win. Amended guidelines came out in 2023, after 2022 (obviously), stated that student-athletes who wager on their own games or for their own schools face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility:
According to amended NCAA guidelines that came out in 2023, “student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools” face “permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”
Other potential gambling punishment guidelines include: If a college football player, for example, bets on a different school in their own sport, “the loss of 50-percent of one season of eligibility will be considered.”
The guidelines in 2023 include guidance that wagers “greater than $800” would lead to the potential loss of 30% of a season of eligibility. For “cumulative wagering” that “greatly exceeded $800,” the staff is directed to consider whether additional loss of eligibility, “including permanent ineligibility,” is appropriate.
In addition to the lone Indiana bet, Sorsby made thousands of bets on a variety of sports:
Sorsby’s decision to seek treatment, according to sources, came in the wake of the discovery of Sorsby making thousands of online bets on a variety of sports via a gambling app, which jeopardizes his eligibility with Texas Tech.
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On3’s Pete Nakos also reported reported that Sorsby also made numerous small bets on numerous occasions on the Reds:
As far as some of the bets are concerned, Sorsby attended Cincinnati Reds games on repeated occasions, and placed live wagers on balls and strikes, sources tell Pete Nakos. The bets ranged anywhere from $2.50 to less than $1 per pitch.
USA Today’s Matt Hayes reported that Cincinnati knew about the gambling and played him anyway:
The Cincinnati athletic department was alerted in August that star quarterback Brendan Sorsby was gambling prior to the start of the 2025 season, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
By knowing Sorsby was gambling and playing him anyway, Cincinnati could face NCAA scrutiny. Sorsby is under NCAA investigation after reportedly making “thousands” of online bets during his career, according to ESPN.
I think that Texas Tech was absolutely blindsided by this. Just 2 weeks ago, Texas Tech put out this video highlighting Sorsby:
I’m not sure how this will play out. The idea here is that with this happening in 2022, prior to the new regulations in 2023, that there’s some leniency. Additionally, with Sorsby going to rehab for 30 days, a force-field of sorts and possibly some sort of contrition, that the NCAA will go lightly on Sorsby in any sort of suspension. The problem is the “thousands” of bets that Sorsby made, presumably prior to the 2025 season and I’m honestly a little angry at Sorsby making those bets more than anything else. When you play sports you know that you give up the right to bet on sports. Sorsby knew that and didn’t come clean to head coach Joey McGuire and the program. Texas Tech made a huge investment in him and my guess is that he just kept this to himself with the hopes that the gambling ghosts would never catch up to him. Again, I know about that this is an addiction and there’s supposed to be some sympathy for Sorsby, but that’s a tough emotion to muster for me at this point.
I’d also add that On3’s Pete Nakos is similar to Adam Schefter, he can be a mouthpiece for agents and programs depending on the x/tweet. That’s not a knock (that’s reporting), but this x/tweet by Nakos isn’t an accident, nor is it coincidental:
NEW: Texas Tech backup QB Will Hammond has returned to throwing in the last 10 days, @PeteNakos reports. There is optimism that he should be healthy by Week 1 against Abilene Christian.
Hammond missed the entire spring recovering from a torn ACL.https://t.co/YJ0Vh6Bbdk https://t.co/nLYokP11l7 pic.twitter.com/6l0reFqZXs
— On3 (@On3) April 27, 2026
The thing I’m asking myself is why was it important for someone from Texas Tech to specifically make sure that this news was out there, that Will Hammond is ahead of schedule and could be ready for week 1. And I’m not trying to be obtuse here in considering why this this information was purposely leaked to Nakos, but it absolutely was.
What happens next? Again, I think the Nakos story is intentional and I know that they signed Kirk Francis from Tulsa, but if Hammond is ready, I am pretty sure that the staff will choose Hammond if he’s healthy. Francis didn’t have the best stats. I know he has played in games and I’m not trying to be overly critical, but I think I might even go with Lloyd Jones III over Francis as well.
Those 3 dots are carrying a lot of water for being an interstitial.
In good news, Texas Tech received a commitment from 4-star 2027 DeSoto running back SaRod Baker (5-9/195). Last year, Baker ran for 3,206 yards with 43 touchdowns and 9.29 yards per carry. It would be easier to get the schools that Baker has not received an offer: Texas A&M, Texas, USC, Ohio State, Oregon, Florida, Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.
Recruiting Profiles:
- On3: 91.67 grade
- 24/7 Sports: 90 grade
- ESPN: 81 grade
Red Raider Sports’ Ben Golan talked to Baker on his commitment:
“A lot stood out, really,” Baker said. “Just me being there was a blessing, first off, and I feel like they treated me like family up there. They welcomed me in with open arms. I was sitting in the running back room, it actually made me seem like I was already at the school. So just them showing me that, I feel like that could be a place that I could be at. And the facility’s nice – they got everything you need. The coaching staff, I feel like Coach (Joey) McGuire is a real dude, one of the realest head coaches out.”