Brendan Sorsby agent claims Cincinnati knew about gambling addiction, did nothing

No college football program has received more backlash this offseason than Texas Tech. Most of the discussion surrounding the Red Raiders involves Brendan Sorsby, their now-former quarterback. Sorsby admitted to having a gambling addiction and betting on his own games. A judge’s ruling had Sorsby eligible before he ultimately decided to leave college for the NFL.

But if you ask Sorsby’s agent, Ron Slavin, Texas Tech should not be the program “catching heat.” Instead, the Cincinnati Bearcats are at fault — at least in Slavin’s mind. He claims Cincinnati knew about the gambling addiction and did nothing about it.

“If anybody should be questioned or catching heat, it should be Cincinnati,” Slavin said via 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Because they knew for two years and never said anything or didn’t do anything about it. That’s the part of the story that gets lost.”

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Slavin had nothing but nice things to say about Texas Tech and, more specifically, Joey McGuire. When it comes to the gambling addiction/scandal, Slavin does not fault the Red Raiders for anything that happened.

“The people at Tech have been great, very supportive,” Slavin said. “Joey McGuire, I think, is one of the best human beings on the planet. A lot of head coaches are transactional. He is not. They didn’t do anything wrong here.”

Cincinnati provides statement on claim from Sorsby’s agent

Once this quote started to make the rounds, Cincinnati provided a statement on the matter. The Bearcats say they would not willingly play an athlete who gambles on sports

“We will reiterate what we have said before,” Cincinnati said via On3’s Pete Nakos. “All of our student-athletes receive extensive gambling education multiple times throughout the year, and we would never knowingly play an athlete who violated NCAA sports wagering regulations. If we ever became aware of impermissible wagering, we would report to the NCAA and comply with sanctions.”

Matt Hayes of the USA TODAY reported that Cincinnati was alerted of Sorsby’s gambling habits back in August 2025. Still, the quarterback went on to play the entire season. He threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. Cincinnati used Sorsby on the ground too, seeing him total 580 yards and nine scores. As a team, the Bearcats finished the year 7-6.

More on Brendan Sorsby

Texas Tech was hoping to get the same kind of production. After winning the program’s first conference championship since 1994, another level was still needed. Oregon shut them out in the College Football Playoff, showcasing the need for a game-changing quarterback. Sorsby was thought to be the guy who could be that when facing non-Big 12 opponents.

Instead, the NFL is in his future. Sorsby opted to pursue the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft instead of playing another year in college football.

“He could say he plans to be in the supplemental draft, but the NFL still has to sign off on a supplemental draft, and that decision is up to the commissioner,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said via The Pat McAfee Show. “It is within his jurisdiction to decide whether or not there would be a supplemental draft this year. If there is a supplemental draft this year, it likely would be held in the back half of July, and then we’d see which of these teams, as you mentioned in that tier system, would wind up picking Brendan Sorsby.”