Brendan Sorsby's path to Texas Tech: Coveted QB spurned NFL before Red Raiders won 3-way bidding war

Quietly, Texas Tech had strong competition from a familiar program for Sorsby -- Indiana.

Sorsby began his career in Bloomington, emerging as the Hoosiers' starter as a redshirt freshman in 2023 under Tom Allen. But he opted to depart when Curt Cignetti arrived, transferring to Cincinnati.

The Hoosiers, in search of a successor to Fernando Mendoza, expressed strong interest in Sorsby. Ultimately, however, Indiana pivoted to another Big 12 passer, zeroing in on TCU's Josh Hoover.

Other suitors

As Indiana bowed out of the race, two other suitors made aggressive pushes: LSU and Miami.

Lane Kiffin and the Tigers identified Sorsby as the top passer in the portal market. Miami did the same, creating a three-way bidding process between the three biggest spenders in the QB market of the cycle.

At one point early in the portal window, a source close to Sorsby described LSU as the leader in the race. As Texas Tech prepared for a playoff game, the Tigers aggressively pursued Sorsby behind the scenes.

But by the time Sorsby began setting up visits, the Red Raiders got the first shot.

Texas Tech didn't shut things down during Sorsby's visit, however, and he took the trip to Baton Rouge. That sent Texas Tech scrambling, lining up Sam Leavitt and Harvard's Jaden Craig as potential backup options.

Ultimately, Texas Tech won the recruitment. Sorsby opted to stay home and remain in the Big 12 for his final season of eligibility.

Sorsby's process exemplified the chaotic and transactional nature of the transfer portal cycle.

In mid-December, when it was only a possibility that Sorsby would leave Cincinnati, sources expected his final price to come in around $3.5 million. Instead, by the time programs submitted their final bids, sources indicated Sorsby received $5-plus million.

It's a hefty premium that underscores the leverage a top passer can create on the open market.