It has been a turbulent week for Texas Tech quarterback Brandon Sorsby, and it took another interesting turn over the weekend.
The embattled signal caller has retained Jeffrey Kessler, an antitrust and sports law attorney known for his work on cases against the NCAA and NFL, for his upcoming legal fight to keep his college eligibility, ESPN reported Saturday.
Kessler has represented the NFLPA in litigation against the NFL, including Tom Brady during the “Deflategate,” Ray Rice, and players involved in “Bountygate.” He also successfully argued against the NCAA’s rules regarding student-athletes receiving non-cash education-related compensation.
Sorsby’s week began with a statement from Texas Tech that he would seek treatment for a gambling addiction at the same time ESPN broke the news that he was being investigated for violating the NCAA’s gambling policy. The report alleged that Sorsby had placed thousands of bets, including on his own team, dating back to his time with Indiana in 2022.
The scope of the scandal expanded over the week and could have implications for both Texas Tech and Cincinnati, his former team.
USA Today reported the following day that Cincinnati was aware of Sorsby’s gambling history before the start of the 2025 season but did not sit their quarterback.
Sorsby is also in a legal fight with Cincinnati, which sued him to retrieve $1 million after he transferred to Texas Tech in the offseason for a reported NIL deal worth $5 million.
If the NCAA finds that Sorsby violated its gambling policy — and more specifically wagered on his own team — he could lose his college eligibility.
If Sorsby cannot maintain his eligibility, the quarterback might declare for the NFL’s supplemental draft, but that would need to happen by June 30, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
