Former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby entered the transfer portal on Dec. 15 and was the top-ranked QB and overall player in the portal. He signed with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who had lost quarterback Behren Morton to the NFL Draft Combine after an injury-riddled season last year.
Texas Tech Faces Brendan Sorsby Headache
During Thursday’s segment of “The Audible” podcast, analyst Ralph Russo revealed that the Bearcats were suing Sorsby for $1 million over a NIL contract signed last year.
“Cincinnati has decided to sue Brendan Sorsby,” Mandel said. “Basically, to get some buyout money. Sorsby left Cincinnati, apparently there was a deal in place in Cincinnati for him to stay there, he’s now at Texas Tech. We’ve heard he’s making about $5 million at Texas Tech.
“They’re not trying to restrict his movement, but just to say, ‘Hey, you broke a contract here and that means you gotta pay us.’ The Duke – Mensah thing ended up getting resolved before it ever really got down the road, some kind of financial agreement was reached. Maybe that’s the trend they’re following here.”
According to the lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the quarterback was supposed to pay the damages within 30 days of transferring from the program. The two-year contract signed by the quarterback was due to end on Dec. 15, 2026.
Sorsby is not the only player to be taken through the court process by their former program, as former Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah only joined the Miami Hurricanes after a drawn-out court battle with the ACC champions.
Sorsby’s Lawyer Bites Back at Cincinnati
In a statement released on Wednesday, Sorsby’s lawyer, Ron Slavin, condemned the Bearcats for the lawsuit against his client and promised to fight back.
“University of Cincinnati, through its revenue-share structure, paid him $875,800 for a season he fully completed, and in that time, he generated millions in value for the program,” Slavin said. “Attempting to recover those funds now sends the wrong message to student-athletes and risks damaging the long-term credibility of Cincinnati football.
“This is further disappointing given that Brendan parted ways with UC in what was a mutually agreeable manner. The money the university seeks to recover from him is nothing more than an unlawful penalty under Ohio law.”
In a stellar season for the Bearcats, Sorsby tallied 2,800 passing yards, resulting in 27 touchdowns and five interceptions, while adding 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 88.2.
