Even after a month since Brendan Sorsby’s chaotic and controversial departure from Texas Tech, Joey McGuire still has hopes for the QB. Sorsby’s gambling issue put him in a negative light, but McGuire believes he’s “special,” while the ex-Red Raiders star aims for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Sorsby faced NCAA trouble and completed inpatient treatment after it was revealed he placed thousands of impermissible sports bets over the past four years across his time at Indiana and Cincinnati, including betting on his own team. It led to his permanent eligibility ban and his release from the Red Raiders after the conference decided not to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Meanwhile, McGuire has kept Sorsby’s number saved and still checks in on his rehab progress, a small habit that shows he sees more than a scandal. For a coach known for locker-room energy, that quiet follow-through says he won’t treat Sorsby like a headline. Most head coaches would have stepped away and let Sorsby handle his fight on his own, and no one would have batted an eye, but not McGuire. He refused to walk away from him, especially when he’s at his lowest, as he shared a piece of advice with Sorsby during the Big 12 Media Days.

“You take a step back and really work on yourself. It’s easy to work on your game. It’s easy to work on yourself as a player, but he’s got some things he’s got to work on himself,” McGuire said.

Yet, in the very same breath, the Red Raiders’ head honcho doubled down and warned the NFL not to snub Brendan Sorsby altogether. He wants to see franchises take a chance on him in the 2027 NFL Draft before the opportunity fades away.

“Some team’s going to give him an opportunity next year, and when they do, he’s special. He is as good as any player l’ve ever been around in my life,” Joey McGuire said. “I think it’s one of those deals where he’ll continue to grow as a person and as a player, and somebody’s going to take a chance on him.

“They’d better take a chance on him early because he’s not going to be there if they wait around. They’re going to get a really good person and a really good football player,” he added.

McGuire explained that he refuses to let Sorsby figure this out alone because, after 32 years of coaching, he views mentoring young men as his literal purpose and calling on Earth. He got incredibly vulnerable, admitting that he has seen the ugly reality of addiction firsthand within his own family and knows how easily it ruins lives. That’s exactly why he’s standing right alongside Sorsby’s parents, Jamie and his mom, making sure the Sorbsy still have access to Texas Tech’s athletic facilities while training in Dallas.

This story forces us to look past the box score and humanize a kid who made a mistake. Right now, Sorsby’s future is totally unwritten. Texas Tech officially moves forward into the season with Will Hammond locked in as their starting quarterback. Sorsby’s own path forward depends entirely on his long-term recovery. If he overcomes these tribulations, whichever NFL franchise takes a flier would get an absolute player in Sorsby.