The Brandon Sorsby saga has taken another turn. Shortly after the 22-year old opted to apply for the NFL’s Supplemental Draft, shunning a fifth year in college because of a gambling problem dating back to his years at Indiana, his professional career has returned to the unknown. The NFL decided not to hold the Supplemental Draft, a decision they have the right to make, essentially turning him away and encouraging Sorsby to join the 2027 NFL Draft in April. Inevitably there will be further updates as there will be legal action taken and/or appeals. The lack of time to properly vet Sorsby and his history with such a serious off-field issue and the lack of accountability he has shown for it likely contributed to the league closing the door.
The last time a quarterback who sustained a full career at the position and was taken in the NFL’s Supplemental Draft was 1992. The Washington Redskins were coming off a Super Bowl victory led by Mark Rypien, Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas won MVP, and Chuck Noll coached his last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That summer, the New York Giants used the first round pick of the Supplemental Draft on quarterback Dave Brown of Duke, who went on to start 60 games over a ten-year career. Since then, just 21 players have been taken in the league’s “second draft” with the majority of them being day three picks (12).
The dialogue behind the ruling and politics behind it can be discussed elsewhere. Here at Ourlads, we are going to break down his tape as if we were inserting him into our Draft Guide. Sorsby could have come out in the 2026 Draft and our scouting process was underway until he announced he would return to school. We picked up where we left off in December after a strong season for Cincinnati and prior to the transfer to Texas Tech. Here is a breakdown of the 22-year old who began his career at Indiana in 2022 as if it were in the 2025 Ourlads Draft Guide that could very end up in our 2027 version.
Cincinnati - 6030 | 235 (e)
Three-year starter. Denton, TX. Spent two seasons at Indiana prior to transferring to Cincinnati in 2024. All-Big 12 in 2025. Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech for 2026 but off-field concerns forced him into the Supplemental Draft. He is both big and athletic with an excellent feel in traffic, both in and out of the pocket. He plays on time and understands the blend of patience to allow things to develop while maintaining urgency in his decision making. The arm talent is impressive across the board but the lack of consistency and fact he finished with a sub-.500 record leaves a lot of questions in his projection. Dual threat scored 81 touchdowns (59 through the air, 22 on the ground) over the course of 31 starts with low turnover numbers. Can escape trouble and create on his own, showing the ability to consistently place the ball accurately both off-schedule and off-platform. Excellent ball handling on RPO’s and play action. Cut down on his fumbles in 2025 with better ball protection tactics, where he had zero fumbles on dropbacks. Fires the ball out from the same release point with snappy power. Will throw anticipation passes over the middle. Can throw to a spot, not just an open target. Will stand tall and strong with pressure bearing down. Can break tackles and will deliver knockback blows to tacklers. Above average accuracy to all levels, both with feet planted and on rollouts. Poor success rate on deep balls. Completed just 34% of his 20+ yard passes, which would have ranked last in the 2026 Draft class. Will often put too much loft on his intermediate throws. Too much fading away when it is not necessary. Needs more lower body involvement and more consistent footwork. Does not always show awareness of backside coverage, notably deep. Will forecast his throws for too long at times. Will need to prove he is past his immature off-field decision making. Sorsby has enough arm talent, ball protection, and success to project a potential starter at the next level but it has yet to all come together despite 30+ starts which creates extra risk around his future. 3rd-4th round.
To be clear, Sorsby will be in an NFL training camp this summer. The team that bids and wins the rights to him will lose that round-pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Ourlads' Depth Charts can put some clarity on to the players in this situation. Without going too deep, here are the top five most likely destinations for Sorsby while considering it unlikely he will be a part of that team’s plans in 2026 but he will need to take a spot on the 53-man roster.
-
Nothing
The smartest move for the three-year starter would be to train for the 2027 Draft, both on and off the field. No teams, no leagues. Get linked up with a quarterback coach, work on absorbing NFL defensive schemes, prepare for interviews with teams next winter/spring, and hammer away at improving the mechanics of the position. Off the field, he should prove he is putting full energy and effort into fully fixing his issues with gambling via counseling and treatment.
-
CFL
The Canadian Football League has already started their season but it will stretch through summer and into early fall. Sorsby could link up with a team to keep his feet in the pool and simply show he can be a professional. This would be a more proactive way of showing he is “all-ball” and capable of entering a new environment with other professionals. How quickly he can learn a new offense and perform would be the question which could end up hurting his outlook just as much as it could help.
3. Continue the Legal Path
Once lawyers get involved, the options all of the sudden become limitless. Watching what Diego Pavia and his legal team was able to accomplish a year ago contributed to the Wild Wild West-aura the NCAA has now. They are potentially going to use the NFLPA to widen the scope of him joining the NFL potentially and there are appeals being made to reinstate him for the 2026 NCAA season.