Cincinnati transfer QB Brendan Sorsby to visit Texas Tech on Friday, report says
2026 NCAA football transfer portal: Tracking moves for Texas Tech, SMU, other area schools

On April 23, USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb sat in the stands of an empty Galen Center for an interview with a film crew. The interview, which was going to be used for a documentary on USC star forward JuJu Watkins, took place exactly two weeks after the Trojans lost to eventual champion UConn in the Elite Eight. As Gottlieb answered a question about the day when Watkins’ season ended with an ACL tear in her right knee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the coach started to cry.
Gottlieb was surprised at how quickly and strongly her emotions came over her. “I realized, I hadn’t really done that,” she told Hoops HQ. “Then I saw her trainer three hours later, She’s like, ‘Man, I had to talk (to the crew) about that day, and I started crying too.’”
Gottlieb recounted the story as she sat in her office on a recent June afternoon. She did not shed any tears this time, but the experience was still raw. “Anytime a player goes down with a significant injury, it is brutal,” she said. “But I don’t remember anything like that. What we all experienced in that arena when she got hurt was just indescribable. But especially, you know, for someone you know, like Juju, it was so heartbreaking, not just for us but for basketball.”
As summer begins and the 2025-26 season approaches, Gottlieb’s job is not only to get past that moment herself, but to help her team do so as well. The Trojans’ prospects will depend on how quickly Watkins recovers, and whether she can return to the level she was playing at when she went down. The typical recovery time for an ACL surgery is 8 to 12 months, which would mean Watkins could only miss a couple of early games or the entire season. Her status will be by far the biggest question the sport will face heading into the new season, but Gottlieb is not putting any kind of timetable on it.

USC Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
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“We’re going to let her attack rehab,” she said. “And all decisions about her return will be based on her health, her well-being and her future, and we’ll see. It’s a unique thing because it happened at the end of last year.”
Preseason polls will have USC lower than a year ago (the Trojans were ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 in the preseason and never fell lower than No. 7), but there is still reason to believe the program can contend for Big Ten and national titles. Much of that is due to the arrival of yet another top-rated recruit, Jasmine “Jazzy” Davidson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Clackamas, Oregon, who is ranked by ESP’s Hoopgurlz as the No. 1 recruit in the nation. Davidson averaged 11.3 points a game, 3.8 rebounds, and a team high 2.7 steals for the U.S. at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also helped the U.S. win gold at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary from Aug. 26-30.
“We always felt like we had the best player in class, and it’s not a knock on anyone in any way,” Gottlieb said. “Jazzy has it all as a basketball player.”
Davidson will need to be a major contributor for USC, but the team’s leader will be 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Kennedy Smith, who ranked third on the team as a freshman in points (9.5) and minutes (29.1). Having also lost Kiki Iriafen, who is now a rookie for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA, and key reserves Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel, who transferred to Washington and UConn, respectively, Gottlieb set out to rebuild her roster through the transfer portal.
She picked up a couple of quality guards in Kara Dunn and Londynn Jones. A 5-foot-11 guard, Dunn was a second team All-ACC player at Georgia Tech last year after averaging 15.5 points a game while shooting just 49.3 percent from the field. Jones was All-Big Ten last season at UCLA and is known for her shooting talent. She set the single-season school record for most threes as a sophomore.

Former Georgia Tech star Kara Dunn joins the Trojans this season.
Getty
After spending all of last season at the top of the polls, Gottlieb is embracing the chance to sneak up on people again. “Maybe it’ll be more of ‘Hey, we gotta prove to people, we’re still here. We’re still really good,’” she said.
As usual, for Gottlieb, success comes down to building a culture, first and foremost. That will be a major focus for her this summer. She recently hosted a barbecue at her home to kick off summer practices and is planning to take the team back to Santa Ynez Valley for a retreat.
Gottlieb also gives her players reading assignments most every year. Her choice this year is “Legacy” by James Kerr. The book tells the story of the New Zealand All-Blacks, detailing their path to sustaining a successful culture that produced three World Cup trophies and nine semi-final appearances in the last 10 World Cup tournaments. “We have a really strong culture and a strong kind of core values, but you have to re-emphasize that every year, because there’s new people,” Gottlieb said. “You have to adapt and change and allow players and really embrace players having these opportunities that they have, but still make it about the team and what looks like winning basketball.”
During her four years at USC, Gottlieb experienced her share of winning. Her first season ended four games under .500. In 2022-23, the Trojans went 21-10 and earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2014. Following that was another jump to 29-6 and an Elite Eight. And in year four, USC was 29-3 going into its NCAA Tournament second-round matchup at home against Mississippi State.
That game may have taken an awful twist, but it did not lower Gottlieb’s vision for the program heading into 2025-26. If anything, with Watkins’ timetable undetermined it’s more important than ever for Gottlieb to build and sustain a strong culture. Others might be expecting less of USC next season, but Gottlieb isn’t, and she wants to make sure not only that the players feel the same way, but the fans as well.
“I think they can expect us to play really fast, have a lot of interchangeable parts and be super exciting. Be really good defensively,” Gottlieb said. “And I think they should expect us to surprise some people because our standards and our goals haven’t changed.”
This year’s lone NCAA transfer portal window officially opened on Friday, as thousands of players across the country look for an opportunity to find a new place to call home.
The transfer portal as a whole is the wild west reincarnated and on steroids, as just about anything can happen. According to On3, last year’s portal cycles saw 4,184 players enter their name, with 68% of them committing to a new school while just 3.61% withdrew their names. Where things get complicated is the fact that a player can enter his name into the portal, but not find a landing spot for himself somewhere else. It also doesn’t mean that a player has to leave, but schools aren’t obligated to preserve their place on the team if they don’t want to.
However, the transfer portal experience varies for every player. While some athletes risk their careers by entering, others will have some of the biggest schools in the country throwing significant money at them.
The latter being one of the main reasons we see what is called a “do not contact” tag. Notable players such as Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), Isaac Brown (Louisville) and Luke Reynolds (Penn State) have entered their names into the portal with the tag, but what does that mean?
For the select few players who are good enough to take that risk it means one of two things: they either have an idea of where they are going, or they will be in contact with the schools that interest them.

While many will be outraged or naive about the matter, programs have been in touch with players months before the portal’s opening. Any inclination that the player might enter the portal throughout the year, whether it’s Leavitt getting hurt and his season ending prematurely or James Franklin being fired from Penn State, programs around the country find ways to stay in contact with the star players.
Again, this likely doesn’t apply to the backup quarterback leaving a Group of Five program, but not all situations are the same. For a player like Leavitt or Brown, they have a chance to essentially go to a school, see what it offers in terms of development, and also see how much it will offer. They then can go to another program and see if they will match or top the offer, and can control the bidding war over themselves.
The January portal window runs through Jan. 16 this year, and unlike in years past, there will be no spring window. So, once a player decides their next move, they have to live with it.
Former Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on Friday with a “do not contact” tag, meaning schools can’t reach out unless Leavitt or his camp makes the first move.
Leavitt burst onto the national scene in 2024 after transferring to Arizona State, establishing himself as the Sun Devils’ starter and finishing the season with 2,885 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, while adding 443 rushing yards and five scores as a true dual-threat.
He helped fuel ASU’s 11–3 finish and first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Big 12 honors.
Leavitt followed that up with solid production in 2025, throwing for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 300 rushing yards and five scores, though he was limited to just seven games after a lingering foot injury required season-ending surgery on October 31.
Before coming to college, Leavitt starred at West Linn High School in West Linn, Oregon, as a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 21 quarterback in the 2024 class per 247Sports, choosing Michigan State over offers from Washington State, Arizona, Florida State, and Washington.
With the transfer portal set to open at midnight Friday, On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong provided the latest intel on programs showing early interest, reporting that three schools have emerged as primary contenders for Leavitt — Miami, Oregon, and LSU — as the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the portal.

Oregon, Miami, and LSU each present a compelling scheme and situational fit for Leavitt.
Oregon offers a home-region landing spot with an offense built to maximize his mobility and timing with playmakers, while Miami provides a high-visibility ACC platform and a scheme well-suited for an accurate, aggressive quarterback as the Hurricanes continue to explore veteran portal options.
LSU also looms as a logical destination, with Lane Kiffin’s new staff actively working the portal and seeking an immediate upgrade at quarterback, where Leavitt’s experience and draftable traits would fit seamlessly.
It’s also worth noting that Oregon and Miami are both CFP semifinalists set to lose their starting quarterbacks, creating a rare opportunity for Leavitt to step into a title-contending environment right away.
Through the first part of Bowl Season, ESPN has seen strong returns on its non-College Football Playoff games. The biggest one, of course, was the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
An average of 8.7 million people tuned in for the game, which saw BYU take down Georgia Tech on ABC, ESPN announced. It’s the best viewership for the game since 1991, when it was the Blockbuster Bowl, and became ESPN’s best non-CFP bowl game since the 2019-2020 Citrus Bowl.
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As a whole, ESPN’s bowl game viewership is up 13% for non-College Football Playoff games through Dec. 27, the network announced. On the whole, 2.7 million people on average have tuned in as multiple games drew strong numbers.
BYU’s victory over Georgia Tech came down to the final seconds as the Yellow Jackets fell short on the final possession. The Cougars then had the opportunity to partake in one of college football’s newest – and most popular – traditions. Head coach Kalani Sitake and the players got to eat one of the edible mascots after two of the three went into the toaster.
Protein Slammin’ Strawberry was the one who “escaped” beforehand, though. Officials for the Pop-Tarts Bowl game said it was the decision to “go pro,” which brought a new twist to the celebration.
The Pinstripe Bowl between Penn State and Clemson drew its best viewership on record as 7.6 million people tuned in for the Nittany Lions’ victory over the Tigers. Additionally, the Gator Bowl hit 6.0 million viewers on average – its best figure since 2009. Virginia took down Missouri in that game to secure a 10-win season for the Cavaliers.
At 4.4 million viewers, the Rate Bowl also drew its highest numbers since 2011 as Minnesota picked up yet another bowl game victory over P.J. Fleck, taking down New Mexico. The L.A. Bowl went out on a high note with a new record-high of 3.8 million viewers tuning in for Washington’s win against Boise State in the final installment of the game, as On3’s Brett McMurphy previously reported.
Three other bowl games drew record viewership, as well, according to ESPN. The First Responder Bowl between FIU and UTSA brought in 3.1 million viewers to set a new all-time high, while the Hawaii Bowl averaged 2.7 million viewers for Cal’s thrilling win over Hawaii on Christmas Eve. That made it the most-watched Hawaii Bowl since 2013. Finally, the Military Bowl averaged 2.5 million – its best since 2018 – as East Carolina took down Pitt.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby emerged as a productive, efficient starter for Cincinnati in 2025, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions, while adding 580 rushing yards and nine rushing scores on the ground, completing 61.6% of his passes across 12 games.
The Bearcats finished 7–5 overall (5–4 in Big 12 play) under third-year head coach Scott Satterfield, marking a two-win improvement from the previous season and the program’s best finish since the Luke Fickell era.
However, Sorsby informed Cincinnati of his intent to enter the transfer portal ahead of the window opening, which runs from January 2 to January 16.
A Denton, Texas, native from Lake Dallas High School, Sorsby was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 66 quarterback in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 cycle, initially committing to Indiana over offers from Army, Delaware, Navy, and East Texas A&M.
With the Hoosiers (2022–23), Sorsby redshirted in 2022 and appeared in just one game before playing in 10 contests in 2023, throwing for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions while showcasing his dual-threat ability with 276 rushing yards and four rushing scores.
He transferred to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season and quickly established himself as the Bearcats’ starter, posting a career high 2,813 passing yards alongside 18 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions, plus 447 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs, before another strong finish in 2025 that solidified him as one of the more proven quarterbacks in the transfer portal.
With the portal opening Friday at midnight, On3 reporters Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong flagged Texas Tech as an early frontrunner while identifying LSU as a competing suitor, describing the two programs as going “head-to-head” to land Sorsby.
Shortly after, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Sorsby already has visits lined up with both programs, with the quarterback set to visit Texas Tech late Friday before heading to Baton Rouge.

Texas Tech offers an immediate schematic fit for Sorsby, operating a pass-heavy, vertical offense under Joey McGuire’s staff, while also providing geographic proximity to his Texas roots.
Furthermore, the Red Raiders are expected to have a clear opening at quarterback with senior starter Behren Morton set to move on, creating a direct path to early playing time.
LSU, meanwhile, presents a different but equally compelling case, offering SEC competition, greater national exposure, and a proven track record of developing transfer quarterbacks under head coach Lane Kiffin, notably Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and now New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart.
With the portal window opening at midnight, typical transfer timelines point to visits and official meetings taking place quickly, with a commitment potentially coming within days to a few weeks as NIL discussions and evaluations progress.
Sorsby’s current NIL valuation sits around $2.4 million, ranking him among the top-valued quarterbacks in college football, a figure that could rise if schools escalate offers, with some suitors reportedly prepared to push past $4 million.
Here are five burning questions for Texas Tech football this offseason…
Texas Tech football outgrew the talent of its quarterback in one offseason. Behren Morton was a perfect fit for the Texas Tech program that existed in his four years prior, but head coach Joey McGuire’s unwavering loyalty to Morton may have cost this year’s team a shot at the national championship.
Morton will be graduating now, so the checkbooks are open for general manager James Blanchard to find a new QB1.
As of Friday, Blanchard and other Texas Tech athletes’ only public interest has been in Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Blanchard reposted Sorsby’s transfer portal announcement, and within an hour, 12 Texas Tech football players had commented on his post.
Sorsby is rated the No. 1 quarterback available in the portal by On3. He is regarded as a potential first-round pick if he enters the NFL draft, but the money college programs are expected to offer will surpass a rookie contract.
Other names to watch are Florida’s DJ Lagway and Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt.
Texas Tech will lose five premier starters on defense to exhausted eligibility: DT Lee Hunter, ILB Jacob Rodriguez, OLB David Bailey, OLB Romello Height and S Cole Wisniewski.
Those five made up 337 total tackles, 29 sacks and 15 forced fumbles in 2025.
Texas Tech will hit the portal to fill a handful of the upcoming defensive holes, but the Red Raiders will retain a handful of players who can step up. Rodriguez’s counterpart, linebacker Ben Roberts, is atop that list.
Between the Big 12 Championship and the Capital One Orange Bowl, Roberts had three interceptions. He also had a career-high 16 tackles in Thursday’s loss.
Roberts and budding linebacker/safety John Curry will man the interior linebacker spots in 2026 alongside at least one portal addition.
USC transfer running back Quinten Joyner tore his ACL on Aug. 18 before taking a regular season snap with Texas Tech. He had not been named the primary back, but his name was circulated in game strategy more frequently than Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams.
Dickey and Williams had strong freshman campaigns in their minimal snaps played, but McGuire didn’t know their full capabilities yet. So, before Joyner’s injury, he intended to run a three-headed system with no true starter.
McGuire remained content to run a 1A and 1B system with Dickey and Williams following the injury. It panned out perfectly. Dickey was a 1,000-yard rusher, and Williams thrived as a runner, receiver and kick returner.
Heading into 2025, they were all high-reward, experimental running backs, but one of the three may not be satisfied to play another season as a rotational player. None have entered the transfer portal as of Friday, but Dickey and Williams’ 2025 tape could warrant a payday and a guaranteed starter tag at multiple P4 programs.
The Micah Hudson saga has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. From becoming Texas Tech’s first five-star recruit to being used sparingly as a freshman to then transferring to Texas A&M and back to Lubbock a semester later, Hudson has yet to have his opportunity.
He reportedly struggled to grasp the playbook during his freshman season, which warranted his minimal usage. Then, when he returned to Texas Tech, the talent was too good for him to be anything more than a rotational piece.
Hudson has pledged his loyalty to McGuire and Texas Tech, so his name will be amongst the replacements for starters Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil. It’s reasonable to assume Texas Tech grabs one or two receivers from the portal, but Hudson is in a prime position to earn reps over the offseason.
His most recent snaps came against West Virginia in the season finale, when he had two touchdowns in the waning moments of a blowout win.
Texas Tech hung its hat on brotherhood this season. The talent was there at certain positions, but the culture McGuire built was a pillar of Texas Tech’s team-wide success.
However, Height noted in the locker room following Texas Tech’s 23-0 College Football Playoff loss that some players weren’t “locked in.”
No one was named, but there was evident frustration from defensive players with their offensive teammates. All of which is expected in the hour after a season-ending defeat, but if McGuire can’t reroute that energy into pushing for a title next season, it will hinder them.
Texas Tech is no longer the longshot team. There will be a huge shift in how team culture is established, going from the perennial middle-of-the-pack program to a place where the floor is now a playoff win.
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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