Which NFL team will pick Brendan Sorsby in the supplemental draft?
So long to the biggest story of the college football offseason.
Welcome to the College Football Newsletter, where we don’t have to talk about the Texas Tech Brendan Sorsby saga ever again (after this newsletter).
The now former Red Raiders quarterback, who by now you should know gambled against his team while at Indiana, transferred to Cincinnati where he gambled some more, and then was temporarily allowed to play in the 2026 season in Lubbock, is forgoing his court ordered college eligibility and opting for the NFL instead. That follows a scandal where Texas Tech, Cody Campbell, and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton got very loud and mad about the situation with little to show for it. There was even a 21-minute long video from Texas Tech brass explaining their decision to back up Sorsby’s return.
If you’re looking for a silver lining as a Red Raider fan, the attention from being the main character of the offseason does have some merits. It’s an unfortunate necessary evil of both this situation and the influx of money coming into the program. People will keep talking about this situation for a long time, pushing the school into the larger college football zeitgeist. Complain all you want about Texas Tech (I have) but there’s also a novelty about them this offseason simply because we are not talking about the Georgias, Ohio States, or Alabamas.
Richard and Alex like to joke that this is an NFL podcast, but we legitimately have a reason to consider the NFL as the tail end of this long story. So, which team will pick Brendan Sorsby in the NFL supplemental draft? Here’s what Richard had to say in this week’s episode:
“Doubtful first round, but probably second round, third round. I joked that maybe a team that isn’t necessarily quarterback needy immediately but would like to have another one could take him. Maybe the Eagles, for instance. Doesn’t seem like the Browns will, at least according to Mary Kay Cabot.”
Sorsby going to a team with an established starter does make some sense. The Eagles in particular have the reputation for getting value in drafts that benefits their short and long term roster plan.
The Cleveland Browns selecting Sorsby would make this already toxic and memeable story even moreso, and I don’t know if I’m specifically talking about the Texas Tech or Browns side of this. The Browns already have Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel on their depth chart and have been cagey about announcing a starter ahead of this season. This destination seems unlikely.
Pittsburgh is currently home to the Aaron Rodgers retirement tour, but the Steelers do have some relatively younger quarterbacks in Drew Allar and Will Howard. Could they pick up Sorsby and see which of the three pans out while Rodgers wraps up his career? It could be worth a shot (but don’t tell Alex I said that).
The Rams would also probably have been a good option for this had they not already spent their most recent first rounder on Ty Simpson. Could you imagine Los Angeles using that pick on a Makai Lemon instead and then having Sorsby fall into their lap? Everyone would be so mad. But that’s okay, I don’t think Los Angeles needs any more help with roster construction with the way their offseason has gone.
More realistically: it’ll probably be the Jets who select Sorsby.
Here’s what Alex and Richard dropped into your podcast feeds this week
Richard recorded a solo subscriber episode on what should be the final show on the Brendan Sorsby saga. He talked about how Texas Tech underestimated how much this would dominate the college sports news cycle and how Cody Campbell is forced to take the loss after being the loudest proponent for Sorsby playing.
Last week, we asked you what your biggest worries are for your college football team. We compiled them and aired out every grievance we could for the free episode this week. Listen to Richard explain the bleakness of the Boston College situation under Bill O’Brien and Alex agree with everyone who submitted questions about the Pitt and Maryland situations.The episode isn’t all pessimism, though. They did manage to quell some overblown worries from other fanbases. Watch the video version here.
Some recommended reading
For CBS Sports, Richard chronicled the Brendan Sorsby saga through the eyes of the biggest winner of the situation: Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.
Matt Brown went to the FOIA machine to find out which program generated the most revenue. No surprise: football and basketball dominate, but check out which departments punch above their weight.
If you haven’t already subscribed to Rodger Sherman’s Sports! Newsletter, what are you waiting for? The most recent entry is about Cape Verde winning the hearts of soccer fans with its 0-0 win over Spain.
If you’re still looking for someone to root for in the World Cup, Holly Anderson and Spencer Hall have you covered over at Channel 6.
Did you watch Donovan McNabb play football either at Syracuse or in the NFL? Well, his son has just committed to UNLV. Please remember to take your vitamins after you finish reading this newsletter.
Thanks for reading and we’ll talk to you next week.