Brendan Sorsby and the transfer portal's vetting problem; is the 2027 QB class overhyped? Mandel's Mailbag

It’s been an unusually newsy week in college football for late April. And while I write the mailbag a day later than usual, I’m sure something else will drop as soon as it goes live.Will Brendan Sorsby even play one down for Texas Tech? — Ben C.If Brendan Sorsby loses eligibility due to gambling, Texas Tech will be unable to land another QB in the portal for 2026, and backup Will Hammond, who tore his ACL last year, won’t be ready to begin the season. How much is this going to torpedo Tech’s season, and how much will it cause teams to reevaluate their process of throwing millions of dollars to players they barely know? — Andrew G.The first answer is simple: If Sorsby bet on even one of his own team’s games — and sources have told The Athletic he did so in 2022 at Indiana — then he’s done. It’s the cardinal sin of sports gambling, and the NCAA will show no leniency.Advertisement