Texas Tech received a commitment from one of the highest-rated players in the transfer portal when former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby announced on Sunday that he would join the Red Raiders for the 2026 season. Before making the decision public, Sorsby personally called Texas Tech alum and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, along with prominent booster Cody Campbell, to inform them of his commitment, according to Pete Nakos of On3. Mahomes later reposted the commitment on social media, a clear sign that he’s still paying attention to the Red Raiders.
Sorsby entered the portal as one of the most desired addictions available. ESPN ranked him as the No. 1 overall transfer, while 247Sports listed him as the No. 2 player and quarterback in the cycle, and On3 placed him inside the top 10 nationally. His recruitment came down primarily to Texas Tech and LSU, with Miami also showing interest earlier in the process. Sorsby visited Texas Tech in Lubbock on Friday and LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday before finalizing his decision, reportedly because he was impressed by the Red Raiders' facilities and the culture established by the coaching staff.
The statistical resume behind the decision is substantial. In 2025 at Cincinnati, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 12 games. He also rushed for 580 yards and nine touchdowns, giving him 3,380 total yards and 36 total scores on the season. This followed steady production earlier in his career, including 1,587 passing yards and 15 touchdowns at Indiana in 2023 and 2,813 yards with 18 touchdowns in 2024 at Cincinnati. Over his career, Sorsby has thrown for 7,208 yards and 60 touchdowns against 18 interceptions, while adding 1,305 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns. He has three seasons of starting experience and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025.
This past season, Sorsby carried a 70.5 passing grade under pressure in 2025, with a pressure-to-sack rate of just 6.1%. By comparison, Texas Tech quarterbacks combined for a 24.1% pressure-to-sack rate last season. As a runner, Sorsby recorded a 76.7 PFF rushing grade, generated 300 yards after contact, forced 22 missed tackles, and scrambled 34 times for 283 yards, the second-most scramble yards in the conference.
The Red Raiders' need at quarterback was clear. Senior Behren Morton is graduating after leading the Red Raiders to a 12–2 record, their first Big 12 championship since 1994, and the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance as the No. 4 seed. However, the season ended with a 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl, where the offense generated just 215 yards, and Morton threw for 137 yards and two interceptions.
Financially, Sorsby is a major investment. On3 reported his NIL valuation for 2026 is around $5 million. Campbell and his partners at Double Eagle Development spent approximately $25 million on the 2025 roster and publicly stated they would increase that investment for 2026.
Sorsby also joins an offense that ranked top five nationally in yardage and scoring in 2025 and has added wide receivers Jalen Jones and Donte Lee Jr. via the portal. The Red Raiders are positioning themselves to contend again in 2026 with an experienced, highly productive quarterback at the center of the plan.
