Brendan Sorsby Enters Supplemental Draft: What it Means for Texas Tech and Big 12 Title Race
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Quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s short career at Texas Tech is over. On Monday night, Sorsby announced he would pursue the NFL’s Supplemental Draft and will withdraw a lawsuit against the NCAA. That news came just a week after Sorsby was granted an injunction to play in ‘26 by a Texas judge after the Cincinnati transfer was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after violating rules around gambling.
The news of Sorsby opting for the supplemental draft came as a bit of a surprise after Texas Tech spent the last week defending the senior and planned to allow him to suit up in ‘26 after a two-game suspension was served against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
What’s the impact of Sorsby’s departure to the NFL Supplement Draft on college football, the Big 12 and Texas Tech? Athlon Sports breaks down the domino effect of this decision.
What’s Next for Texas Tech, Big 12 After Brendan Sorsby Enters Supplemental Draft
Who starts at QB for Texas Tech now?
Short answer: It’s complicated. Sophomore Will Hammond is expected to take the full-time job, but he’s also recovering from a knee injury suffered in late October last year. Hammond flashed big-time potential in eight appearances in ‘25 but may need until late August to be cleared to resume full team activities.
With Hammond’s status uncertain for Week 1 against Abilene Christian and Week 2 against Oregon State, the quarterback job will fall to Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis or redshirt freshman Lloyd Jones III. Francis played in 18 games with the Golden Hurricane over the last three years but lost his starting job in ‘25. Jones III played in one contest with the Red Raiders last fall.
If Hammond is healthy and ready to go by Week 3 for a massive showdown against Houston, Texas Tech should be fine at quarterback. But if the sophomore has an extended absence, a lot of rust or isn’t back to full action by early September, the Red Raiders could easily lose their spot as the Big 12 frontrunner.
How does Sorsby’s departure impact Texas Tech?
In Athlon Sports’ 2026 Big 12 predictions, Texas Tech is still the team to beat. However, the gap between the Red Raiders and the other top contenders (BYU, Houston and Utah) has closed. Although coach Joey McGuire’s team has personnel turnover to navigate, they won all 12 of their games by 22 or more points last season. That dominance might be tough to replicate, but it’s clear this team had a healthy gap to the rest of the conference.
With some uncertainty around the quarterback spot until Hammond proves to be back at full strength, Texas Tech should be able to lean on its ground game and defense. The Red Raiders return the Big 12’s best backfield with Cameron Dickey, J’Koby Williams and Quinten Joyner running behind a line that’s among the best in the conference. And whether it’s Hammond, Francis or Jones III throwing the ball, coordinator Mack Leftwich has plenty of playmakers to deploy on the outside, including transfers Malcolm Simmons (Auburn) and Kenny Johnson (Pitt) to go with returners Coy Eakin and Micah Hudson. Also, Terrance Carter is one of the nation’s top returning tight ends.
Defensive improvement was a major driving force in Texas Tech’s Big 12 title last season. After giving up 34.8 points a game in 2024, the Red Raiders cut that to 11.8 points a contest last year. Key cogs in edge rusher David Bailey, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and tackle Lee Hunter have departed, but coordinator Shiel Wood still has a strong foundation. Matching last year’s production might be challenging. However, this is still one of the top defenses in the Big 12 and won’t slip far on the stat sheet after adding transfers up front in Mateen Ibirogba (Wake Forest), Adam Trick (Miami, Ohio) and Trey White (San Diego State) and linebacker Austin Romaine (Kansas State) to go with potential preseason All-Americans in AJ Holmes (defensive line), Ben Roberts (linebacker) and Brice Pollock (cornerback).
With a standout rushing attack and defense, Texas Tech won’t have to rely on Hammond too much in the early going. But if the Red Raiders want to win a couple of games in the playoff, they will need Hammond to be healthy and at his best.
Related: Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026
What’s the big-picture impact on the Big 12?
With Sorsby, Texas Tech was a clear favorite to win the Big 12 and projected to rank as a top-10 team in ‘26.
Without Sorsby, the Red Raiders are still the team to beat in the Big 12. However, Athlon Sports has dropped McGuire’s team a few spots to outside of the top 10 in the preseason power ratings.
Does that gap in projection open the door for the Big 12 to potentially get a second team into the College Football Playoff? BYU has been on the door step of the playoff in back-to-back years. Utah and Houston will also factor into the conference title mix. And of course, this is the Big 12. More chaos could be coming with a surprise contender or two.
Sorsby was worth a few points to Texas Tech’s overall team rating or projected spreads for each game. But without him, the Red Raiders are still in the driver’s seat. BYU, Houston and Utah still have a gap to McGuire’s team. However, anything can happen in a one-game conference title scenario. The rest of the Big 12 should feel better about its playoff hopes after Sorsby’s departure.
Related: Big 12 Football 2026 Predictions
Related: Brendan Sorsby Is Entering the NFL Supplemental Draft. What Happens Now?
Related: Big 12 Coaches Talk Anonymously About Conference Foes for 2026
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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