Should the Browns Target Former Bearcat in the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft?
Despite having a four-person logjam of a quarterback room, the Cleveland Browns have been linked to former Cincinnati Bearcat and current Texas Tech Red Raider Brendan Sorsby. Sorsby is currently amidst an ongoing controversy of his own doing, as he checked himself into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction. The decision to check himself into this rehab program was a result of a discovery that revealed Sorsby had made thousands of online bets on different sports, which completely jeopardized his eligibility as an NCAA athlete. The investigation revealed that the Red Raider bet on Indiana football when he was a member of the Hoosiers back in 2022, when he appeared in one game as a redshirt freshman. The bet was placed on Indiana to win, and Sorsby did not appear in any games he played in.
Texas Tech’s Playoff Hopes Take a Major Hit
The announcement came as a huge blow to both Sorsby and the Red Raiders, who were expecting the 22-year-old to be a huge part of Texas Tech’s push to make the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year. Heading into the 2026 season, the Texas-native was the first-ranked prospect in ESPN’s transfer portal rankings. In 2025, Sorsby led the Bearcats to a 7-6 record, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. The elite arm velocity also showed off his athletic talent during his junior season, rushing for 580 yards and bringing in nine rushing touchdowns for the second straight campaign. For his career so far, Sorsby has amassed 8,513 all-purpose yards and 65 touchdowns.
Supplemental Draft Could Be Sorsby’s Only NFL Path
As for how the rising transfer prospect would be able to pivot from his current circumstances in college to the professional game, the only path that lies in front of him is this year’s NFL Supplemental Draft, taking place in July. The supplemental draft would allow Sorsby to avoid all his current eligibility issues and get a professional support system around him, which would be a huge help for his gambling issues. It should go without saying that the NFL has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to players betting on sports, so ideally, the pressure of that could help the high-variance passer steer clear of his addictive habits. There would also be several teams clamoring to take a player of Sorsby’s athletic caliber and skillset, especially if they could skip the official NFL Draft and take him a year early.
Why Cleveland May Not Be the Right Fit
However, head coach Todd Monken has to lock onto one of Cleveland’s four rostered quarterbacks and prepare him for Week One. The Browns have been searching for their franchise-leading signal caller for over 30 years, and adding a developmental quarterback in Sorsby, who is coming off a huge scandal, may do more harm than good. It should be noted that Cleveland has struck gold when drafting in previous supplemental drafts, as they drafted franchise legends Bernie Kosar and Josh Gordon in 1985 and 2012, respectively. Unfortunately for Texas Tech's physical pocket presence, there is no clear spot for him on Cleveland’s roster, especially considering they would have to forfeit a pick in the 2027 NFL Draft just to have a chance at taking him. General Manager Andrew Berry just added another young and mobile quarterback to the roster in Taylen Green, who is set to compete for playing time this offseason in potential rushing packages. Although the idea could be enticing, Sorsby will likely not be finding his way from Texas to Cleveland this offseason.
