Brendan Sorsby is now expected to slide from possible Day 1 consideration into later Day 2—potentially the third round—after deciding not to play in 2026.
That drop reflects the unusual risk of entering the 2027 draft without an official game for a full year, leaving scouts to judge whether his development stalled during the layoff.
Sorsby had built strong momentum at Cincinnati, throwing 28 touchdowns against five interceptions last season after earlier flashes at Indiana and two improving years with the Bearcats.
Before the eligibility fight ended, some evaluators saw him competing with Alabama’s Ty Simpson to be the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class, and he was even viewed as a possible supplemental draft target.
His path now hinges on the pre-draft process: a clean year could let teams treat the layoff as punishment already served, while any new off-field issue could trigger a steeper fall.