Brendan Sorsby hires new lawyer, could work on settlement | Report

After former University of Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby hired prominent sports attorney Jeffrey Kessler to help retain eligibility after gambling accusations, a report says Kessler could be working to negotiate a settlement to keep Sorsby eligible.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote about the potential for a settlement, saying, "My understanding is the school is as lawyered up as Sorsby in an attempt to save its $6 million NIL deal to have Sorsby quarterback its football team in the fall.

"Now, the twist: I don’t think the intention here is necessarily to sue the NCAA into oblivion, as it might appear. As I’ve heard it, the idea is for the legal team, at least for now, to accelerate the process of negotiating a settlement."

According to Breer, the settlement would allow Sorsby to play part of the season at Texas Tech after serving a suspension, but the NCAA has to play ball on negotiations as well, something it might be reluctant to do in Sorsby's case.

Kessler has been a prominent lawyer in the sports world, including working on the House vs. NCAA lawsuit and representing Tom Brady in a Deflategate appeal.

If Sorsby is deemed ineligible to play for the Red Raiders in 2026, he could apply to enter a possible NFL supplemental draft. There hasn't been a player selected in the supplemental draft since 2019 when the Arizona Cardinals picked safety out of Washington State. The Cardinals gave up a 202 fifth-round pick.