Big 12 coach gives blunt take on Cincinnati's future after losing Brendan Sorsby

One Big 12 coach gave a blunt take regarding Cincinnati’s future after losing QB Brendan Sorsby this offseason. The coach spoke anonymously to Athlon Sports for its college football preview magazine.

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Ironically, this coach spoke about the Bearcats losing their productive quarterback. But Sorsby won’t be playing any time soon due to his leave of absence due to a gambling addiction. He has since undergone treatment, but Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech, might not be as major of a loss as once thought.

“Losing [quarterback Brendan Sorsby] to Texas Tech is a major loss,” the coach said. “He was the engine of that team. He made that team go with his ability to pass the ball, and he helped in the run game a lot. He was just a dynamic player for them. 

“He wasn’t an NFL quarterback in terms of throwing the football, but he was a really good athlete, and he’s a winner. Losing him just shows you in this conference, not everybody is playing by the same rules with revenue sharing. It’s the haves and the have-nots.”

The QB depth chart for Cincinnati features transfers JC French IV and Liam O’Brien, as well as redshirt-sophomore Samaj Jones. It’s not Sorsby-level production, so it’ll be an interesting challenge for Scott Satterfield. Still, the anonymous Big 12 coach likes what Cincinnati did defensively to even the playing field.

“I’m very intrigued by their defensive coordinator hire [Nate Woody],” the coach continued. “He’s got a great track record at Army, and he’s had really good numbers.”

Last year at Cincinnati, Sorsby set career highs. He threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 61.6% completion percentage, had 580 rushing yards and crossed the endzone nine times on the ground.

Sorsby filed suit against the NCAA on May 18 as he fights to retain his eligibility amid allegations of gambling. The lawsuit came after the Texas Tech quarterback’s lawyers called for the NCAA to expedite a decision on his eligibility. However, in Friday’s filing, the association said a request for reinstatement was not filed until days after the lawsuit was filed.

Sorsby entered rehab last month after taking an immediate leave of absence from the Texas Tech football program and released a statement this week confirming his return. He was Texas Tech’s top transfer portal addition this past cycle after two seasons at Cincinnati, becoming the No. 10 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. On3’s Pete Nakos reported he agreed to a deal worth in the $5 million range.