Steelers Now
Brendan Sorsby, one of the top potential quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, has not yet decided if he’s going to declare or return to school, but he has decided that he won’t be returning to Cincinnati.
Sorsby has informed Cincinnati that he intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, multiple media outlets reported on Monday, the first of which was Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Sorsby was one of the top rising prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. The Cincinnati quarterback starter the season ranked in the low 200s at NFL Mock Draft Database, and is currently No. 102, pending his decision about whether to join this class, or find a new home in the portal and try the 2027 NFL Draft. That would make Sorsby a late third round selection.
A 6-foot-3, 235-pound Dallas native, Sorsby is no stranger to the transfer portal. He originally attended Indiana, picking the Hoosiers over a smattering of Group of Five and FCS offers.
Sorsby played one game as a true freshman and then made seven starts in 2023, but when head coach Tom Allen was fired at the end of the 2023 season, he headed into the transfer portal.
Sorsby landed at Cincinnati, where he walked into a starting role and thrived. In 2024, he threw for 2,813 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. This season, he threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions, leading the Big 12 with a 13.5 yards-per-completion average.
Cincinnati started strong, winning seven games in a row after a season-opening loss to Nebraska, but the Bearcats lost four straight to finish the season at 7-5 and are headed to the Liberty Bowl to play Navy on Jan. 2.
Sorsby will not be playing in that game, instead taking this time to make his decision between another collegiate home in 2026 or taking his talents to the NFL as a mid-round pick.
The 2026 NFL Draft class has already taken two hits, with LaNorris Sellers making his intention clear that he is returning to South Carolina and Marcel Reed going back to Texas A&M.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Potential 2026 NFL Draft QB Hits Transfer Portal
