Brendan Sorsby’s path to the NFL hit another dead end on Tuesday when the league denied his petition for entry into the supplemental draft.
In a letter to Sorsby published by ESPN, the league informed Sorsby his petition was incomplete or intentionally vague, failing to “demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League’s rules and policies governing the integrity of competition.”
Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for violating rules relating to gambling. NFL counsel Lawrence P. Ferazani Jr. stated in the letter that the league was dismayed by Sorsby failing to accept “responsibility for your actions” and trying to avoid consequences first through litigation and then by attempting to enter the NFL supplemental draft.
Sorsby transferred from Cincinnati to Texas Tech for the 2026 season before his plans imploded when his gambling violations were exposed, including allegations of placing bets on Indiana games while he was with the Hoosiers.
The NFL said a review of the case and public record contributed to its decision and was necessary because Sorsby did not address the context or details of his NCAA banishment.
In a response the NFL surely anticipated based on their previous courtroom entanglement, Sorsby attorney Jeffrey Kessler told ESPN the NFL was in violation of the “CBA and the law.”
Kessler has a history of winning in head-to-head courtroom contests with the NFL and is an expert in union-related matters. He led the NFLPA in matters involving Tom Brady’s “Deflategate” suspension, represented several Saints players punished in the “Bountygate” case and won prominent sports law cases as a lead attorney in House vs. NCAA and 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports vs. NASCAR.
Among the league’s findings stated to Sorsby in the correspondence Tuesday: “You knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition. Reported conduct includes placing wagers on your own team and teammates and, to avoid detection, establishing or funding accounts in the names of intermediaries who placed bets on your behalf. There are also reports that you may have violated state criminal law.”
Ferazani reminded Sorsby that commissioner Roger Goodell views entry into the league as a privilege “that carries with it significant responsibilities, including accountability. By all accounts, you are a talented player with the potential for future success. We encourage you to focus on preparing for possible entry into the NFL through the 2027 NFL Annual Draft.”
–Field Level Media
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