According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter, former Cincinnati Bearcats/possible Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has hired prominent attorney Jeffrey Kessler in an effort to keep his college eligibility.
Technically, Sorsby hasn’t lost his eligibility, but if recent reports involving gambling on football at Indiana are true, the result of an NCAA investigation could be a permanent ban.
The University of Cincinnati has denied any knowledge of Sorsby being involved in illegal gambling. Sources close to the program also say UC would not have played someone who was involved in illegal gambling. Student-athletes can bet on anything that the NCAA doesn’t have a championship in, such as MMA, Nascar, horse racing, etc.
Sorsby is said to have bet balls and strikes via a gambling app on Cincinnati Reds games, which could come under fire. The Big 12 partners with ProhiBet, an app supposed to be loaded on phones of Big 12 athletes. An obvious work-around would be a different phone, but none of that has been confirmed.
Who is Jeffrey Kessler?
Kessler is best known for being behind former St. Xavier/Arizona State swimmer Grant House whose House vs. NCAA case paved the way for college athletes to have revenue-sharing agreements. Last July 1, power conferences were to set aside $10.5 million to pay athletes. Some schools made agreements prior to that date and now it’s commonplace for Power Four schools to have budgets beyond the House figure.
Sorsby is one who has benefited from a school with deep pockets, as Texas Tech is believed to have paid up to $5 million for his services.
What if Brendan Sorsby is ineligible?
If Sorsby is declared ineligible and Kessler’s efforts fail, that paves the way for him to be in the NFL Supplemental Draft.
The NFL would then review Sorsby’s application and decide if he can enter. The NFL has not held such a draft since 2023 and no one has been picked in one since 2019. Notable supplemental draft picks in history include Bernie Kosar, Cris Carter, Josh Gordon and Terrelle Pryor.
Sorsby debated the NFL Draft in December and UC would have dropped his buyout of $1 million had he entered. Instead he opted for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech played Sorsby in their special game with knowledge of the betting allegations and Sorsby participated in a Pro Camp for kids April 25, before the national story broke April 27.
The Enquirer will update this story as details become available.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ex-UC Bearcats QB Brendan Sorsby hires attorney to address eligibility
Reporting by Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
