Urban Meyer does not mince words about the Brendan Sorsby gambling situation, and his fury is directed less at the Texas Tech quarterback than at the system that surrounds him.
In the most recent edition of The Triple Option podcast, the College Football Hall of Famer attacked politicians and sportsbooks for enabling youngsters to have gambling applications in their hands. His primary point is that the legalization of mobile gambling has altered the temptations that young athletes encounter on a daily basis.
Sorsby, the Red Raiders’ prized $5 million transfer addition, checked himself into a residential treatment center for gambling addiction and is currently being investigated by the NCAA, as well as state authorities in Indiana and Ohio.
Urban Meyer responds to the Brendan Sorsby gambling controversy.
Meyer’s fury was aimed at the legislators who authorized the broad adoption of mobile sports betting in 2018.
What the hell are folks thinking by making gambling legal for teenagers to use on their smartphones? Meyer stated. I’d want to meet the politicians. What are you thinking, you idiot?
He went on to describe conversations with federal investigators about the extent of the problem among younger people.
I know individuals in the FBI, and they say that 1000%, or some number that is impossible to comprehend, of young people aged 18 to 21 are now addicted to gambling.
Sorsby wagered on Indiana while redshirting for the Hoosiers in 2022, according to ESPN. Other stories tell of a continuous stream of micro-wagers, including live bets on balls and strikes at Cincinnati Reds games, with amounts ranging from less than $1 to $2. 50 every pitch.
Meyer also held Sorsby accountable, but he saw the larger issue as a breakdown of guardrails for athletes who were now managing large sums of NIL cash.
What’s next for Sorsby and Texas Tech?
Sorsby has recruited attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who also worked on the watershed House v. NCAA lawsuit, to help him negotiate a way back onto the field. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the legal approach is designed to obtain some sort of suspension settlement rather than a total eligibility ban.
The consequences are significant. Texas Tech millionaire supporter Cody Campbell and Double Eagle Development invested around $25 million on the 2025 squad and promised to double it in 2026. Sorsby was the focus of that wager.
If the NCAA rules against him, backup Will Hammond will take over, making the NFL Supplemental Draft a viable escape path.
Yes, it is completely his responsibility, and he will pay a heavy price, as will that coach, team, and a fan group at Texas Tech, because he is a hell of a player, according to Meyer.
