Former Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby Details Gambling Addiction That Ended College Career

Former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby expresses deep remorse over the gambling addiction that derailed his college football career in the new Paramount+ documentary ‘The Program: Texas Tech.

Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech last January as one of the most highly regarded quarterbacks in the NCAA.

However, a subsequent high-level investigation revealed he placed more than 9,000 wagers worth at least $90,000 throughout his college career. Those bets included at least 40 wagers supporting Indiana during his time with the program, though he maintained none were placed on games in which he played.

Gambling Begins in High School

In the new Paramount+ documentary, Sorsby candidly addresses his addiction, tracing its origin back to 2018 while attending Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas.

“I liked gambling,” Sorsby said. “I couldn’t watch a sporting activity without having a stake… having some skin in the game. We had a casino on the other side of the border, and you only had to be 18.”

Sorsby played at Indiana University from 2022 to 2023, transferred to the University of Cincinnati for the 2024–25 season, and ultimately moved to Texas Tech.

Texas Tech Deal Unravels

“I gambled all throughout my time at Indiana,” Sorsby admitted. “Pretty much all throughout my time in Cincinnati. I made some mistakes, especially early on, betting on my own team, which everybody knows.”

Despite signing a name, image, and likeness (NIL) package reported at $5 million for the 2026 season at Texas Tech, his addiction persisted.

“No reason at all to gamble, and yet I still did it,” he said. “You’re chasing a dopamine hit, and that’s where you lose yourself. There’s a reason that with gambling, out of any other addiction, you have the highest suicide rate, because people bury themselves in holes that they feel they can’t get out of.”

Legal Battle & Dropped Eligibility

In April, Sorsby publicly acknowledged his addiction and temporarily stepped away from Texas Tech to enter a residential treatment program.

When the NCAA permanently revoked his remaining eligibility, Sorsby’s legal team filed suit and successfully secured a temporary injunction from a Texas state court to restore his status.

However, the ruling sparked wider legal conflict when the Big 12 sued Texas Tech over potential conference sanctions if Sorsby took the field. Facing mounting administrative hurdles, Sorsby dropped his challenge against the NCAA, prompting the Big 12 to withdraw its suit.

Sorsby subsequently petitioned for entry into an NFL supplemental draft over the summer.

The league declined to hold one, with Lawrence Ferazani, general counsel for the NFL Management Council, noting in a letter that Sorsby’s application failed to demonstrate sufficient accountability or assurance that he would adhere to NFL competition policies.

Documentary Captures Fall-Out

Sorsby will sit out the 2026 season and focus on preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, on Sept. 2, the NCAA formally cleared the University of Cincinnati of any institutional wrongdoing regarding Sorsby’s tenure there.

The Program: Texas Tech captures the crisis as it unfolded inside team facilities, featuring interviews with players, staff, and Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire. In one poignant moment, McGuire addresses the team to announce Sorsby’s initial departure.

“I was walking around the facility, and nobody knew I had a problem gambling,” Sorsby reflected. “I know how quickly you can lose money. I know how quickly things can go wrong. Everything can get ripped from you.

“Once [the news] finally came out, I was on the phone with my parents and agent, sitting there bawling my eyes out. In my head, I’m thinking, I just threw everything I’ve worked for my entire life out the window. Coach McGuire and I sat down in his office, and there were a lot of tears shed between the two of us.”

Now facing a year on the sidelines, Sorsby’s story serves as both a stark cautionary tale for college athletics and an uncertain prelude to his 2027 NFL ambitions.