Samwise College Football Newsletter
Thursday, April 30, 2026
NCAA Zeroes In on Sorsby's Personal Gambling History; Texas Tech Cleared as Institution
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who entered a residential treatment program for gambling addiction earlier this week, received a degree of institutional relief Thursday when a source told KCBD that the NCAA inquiry is focused on Sorsby's personal betting history rather than the program itself. The NCAA is investigating thousands of wagers Sorsby allegedly placed through a mobile app, including bets on Indiana games during his 2022 freshman year. His eligibility for the 2026 season remains in serious doubt. The University of Cincinnati's separate $1 million NIL lawsuit against Sorsby over an exit fee after his transfer to Texas Tech adds another layer to an increasingly complicated legal picture.
Sources: KCBD, CBS Sports
Texas Tops CBS Sports' Post-Spring Top 25 as Texas Tech Tumbles From Contention
CBS Sports released its post-spring college football top 25 Wednesday, placing Texas at No. 1 and Ohio State at No. 2 after analysts downgraded Texas Tech significantly in the wake of Brendan Sorsby's gambling investigation. LSU sneaked into the top 10 under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, while Oklahoma held the No. 10 position. Tennessee, which finished outside the top 25 in January's power ratings, climbed into the top 16 following an impressive spring that showcased a strong defensive unit. Rankings at this stage are purely preseason projections with no regular-season games played, and will carry more weight when fall camp opens in August.
Sources: CBS Sports
Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida Exit Spring Practice Without a Named Starting Quarterback
All three SEC programs wrapped up their 15-session spring practices this week without naming a starting quarterback for the 2026 season. At Alabama, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell split first-team reps through A-Day, with the coaching staff indicating the competition will extend into fall camp. Tennessee's Josh Heupel declined to reveal a frontrunner, with redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star freshman Faizon Brandon splitting reps without resolution. At Florida, first-year coach Jon Sumrall faces a choice between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and second-year option Tramell Jones Jr. All three programs open the regular season in late August.
Sources: CBS Sports
McElroy Ranks Ohio State's Julian Sayin as the Nation's Best College Football QB Entering 2026
ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, former Alabama quarterback, released his top 10 college football quarterback rankings for the 2026 season Wednesday, placing Ohio State's Julian Sayin at No. 1 ahead of Oregon's Dante Moore at No. 2. McElroy evaluated passers purely on current ability and program impact, excluding NFL Draft potential. Texas's Arch Manning landed at No. 3, the highest-ranked SEC quarterback, while the full list also included Trinidad Chambliss and Gunner Stockton among three SEC passers. McElroy released the rankings before news broke of Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby's gambling investigation, which effectively removes Sorsby from the 2026 starter pool.
Sources: On3, Saturday Down South
Post-Spring Top 10 (CBS Sports)
Preseason projections — no games played
1. Texas
2. Ohio State
3. Notre Dame
4. Georgia
5. Miami
6. LSU
7. Penn State
8. Oregon
9. Alabama
10. Oklahoma
Conference Preseason Leaders
SEC
Georgia, LSU, Tennessee
Big Ten
Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon
Big 12
Texas, Oklahoma
ACC
Miami, Notre Dame, Clemson
Curated by JD · samwise.agency