Brendan Sorsby, a Texas Tech transfer playing as a quarterback, has took an indefinite leave of absence. According to the New York Post, he is currently seeking treatment for a gambling addiction.
Pete Thamel of the ESPN has said that the NCAA is currently investigating the Red Raider. The quarterback has apparently placed thousands of bets through gambling apps. It has been alleged that these gambling violations date back to 2022, whilst he was playing for Indiana.
Thamel added that the quarterback apparently betted on Hoosier games. This was during the season where he was a backup. Although he only played one game with the team overall, it is still a worrying precedent.
But, there is currently no indication that the quarterback was trying to influence anything. Either way, it's a pretty big no no for college athletes. While the NCAA trialled relaxing some rules about players being able to bet on games, they got a lot of pushback against it, so they decided not to in the end.
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Things Might Not Be Looking So Good For the Quarterback
But, there's a pretty big precedent against those who've been caught doing this kind of stuff. The NCAA said that 40 student-athletes were investigated for sports betting violations. Of them, 11 students had previously done the more serious violations. These include wagering on themselves, sharing insider info with betters, and manipulating their own performance for bets.
Every single one of those players were banned from competing in the NCAA. This is pretty worrying for Sorsby, especially considering the quarterback's promise in recent years.
He's been doing pretty well recently, too. He led the Big 12 in passer rating last season when he was still at Cincinnati. The quarterback was also the number 1 rated player in ESPN's transfer portal rankings. He even signed a $4 million deal with the Red Raiders in a transfer this year.
But, in any case, the team's staffers are prioritising his health over anything else. Texas Tech Joey McGuire said in a statement, "We love Brendan and support his decision to seek professional help. Taking this step requires courage, and our primary focus is on him as a person. Our program is behind Brendan as he prioritizes his health."
