College Football Betting News This Month | Texas Tech needs to find a new signal-caller Market Watch & Analysis | July, 2026

Moving into the teeth of summer, the main top teams noted in prior reports have stayed near the top of the college football futures markets for the 2026 season. However, the biggest offseason storyline involves the saga of former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby.  Slated to be the starting quarterback for the Red Raiders and perhaps a Heisman dark horse, the Denton, TX native has had one of the most controversial offseasons in recent memory for a player. The saga ended (perhaps) with the NCAA denying Texas Tech’s appeal for Sorsby’s reinstatement on June 5th, which puts not only the quarterback’s future at a crossroads but also Tech in some ways as well. Of course, for additional analysis like the ones offered in this report from OSB, the college football betting sites guide is a must-read resource. This includes all kinds of fantastic insights and even more additional notes on the sport.

As the offseason heads into full gear, there are a couple of summer storylines that have appeared over time, especially as it relates to the tale in Lubbock, Texas.

Since our previous analysis, the situation involving Texas Tech’s Sorsby has continued to evolve and is easily the biggest college football offseason storyline given its potential impact on the sport. Court filings and subsequent legal developments have added new context to the NCAA’s investigation, including reports that Sorsby placed thousands of wagers and that at least 40 involved Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster. Back in June, a Texas judge granted Sorsby an injunction against the NCAA, preventing the organization from punishing Sorsby for violating the association’s anti-gambling rules. The ruling drew strong reactions online, but no evidence presented in this report supports claims of outside influence on the court.

However, on June 9th, the NCAA announced it appealed the judge’s decision to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas. Subsequently, public outcry prompted many online to ask that Sorsby not play this year, which he will most likely not do. Even though he was granted an injunction, he decided to drop his lawsuit, rendering him ineligible to play college football. He then applied for the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft, but the league denied his application due to his “application carrying a lot of issues.” The CFL also forbade him from signing with any of its teams because “upholding the integrity of the league is paramount to the CFL.”

Some speculation online back in June thought that if the quarterback misses part of the season, the preseason odds could drift higher to +3000, and if he is ineligible, then they could go even higher to around +5000. However, as of this latest report, Tech’s championship odds have stayed around +2200 to win the national championship, but that could of course change.

Largest NCAAF line moves and total changes this week

• CJ Carr (+650) continues his ascent as a Heisman Trophy favorite, with his preseason numbers continuing to improve. In the last update, he was noted at +750 to win the Heisman next season. He is still acknowledged as the main Heisman favorite at +650.
• One of the biggest movers nationally, the Miami Hurricanes have improved at several sportsbooks. This includes moving from roughly +2000 to +1200 thanks to strong wagering action and optimism surrounding the roster.
• Ole Miss, which has been covered in this space before, is another significant riser, moving from approximately +4000 to +2500 after attracting heavy offseason support from bettors. This also includes their head coach moving on as well.
• Speaking of Ole Miss’ former head coach, Lane Kiffin’s LSU team has generally shortened into the second tier of contenders, surfacing around +1500 at many books.
• Nonetheless, the Sorsby update is still easily the biggest-odds related piece because of not only how it affects Texas Tech (which seems to be somewhat minimal at this point), but also the potential long-term impact on the sport.

As the summer months have moved along, Cj Carr and Arch Manning have continued to trade spots near the top of the Heisman odds board. Carr is the narrow front-runner at around +700 to +750 and Manning close behind at +775 to+800. However, as noted in prior reports, one of the notable summer risers has been Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, who has moved into the top tier of contenders and is now listed as high at +1100 by some sportsbooks. His rise is especially noteworthy as Miami already has a strong national profile, and some projected early-season success could push his stock even higher.

NCAAF prospect news, pro days, and betting impact

Following an exciting NFL Draft, a couple of new storylines have emerged as the best in college football from last season are set to take the stage as pro football’s next generation. Of course, these top picks all have huge ramifications on the NFL Rookie of the Year Awards for both offensive and defensive players. In this portion of the update, OSB will be going over who the favorites are for these ROTY honors and how their odds have changed in the offseason. With various NFL mini-camps and OTA’s taking place, there are a couple of different updates here for the rookies in the league.

• David Bailey (+500 to win the Defensive ROTY), remains one of the early favorites to win the award, with some markets even positioning him at +475 to take home the honor. Landing in New York also gives him a showcase for his pass-rushing ability, making him a strong preseason contender if he can produce early in his rookie campaign.
• Speaking of pass rushing, Rueben Bain Jr. (also +500), is another strong contender with Bailey. The Tampa Bay draft pick should provide an immediate boost for the Bucs and scored 7.5 sacks last season for the Miami Hurricanes along with 15.5 tackles for loss. He was named first-team All-ACC and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Regarding the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Arizona running back Jeremiyah Love has strengthened his position as the consensus preseason favorite. Earlier in the offseason, Love was generally listed around +300 to +320, but many sportsbooks have since shortened him into the +250 to +275 range following the NFL Draft and his selection by the Cardinals. Love is expected to receive a significant workload immediately, which should also mean he will be the focal point of the Cardinals’ attack with Kyler Murray moving on.
• Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza was selected by the Raiders first overall and is still in second place for the Offensive Rookie of the Year race. In his last report, his odds were just behind those of Love at around +350 to +400.  Now they have shifted some between +375 and +450. The Raiders will have a new-look offense this year under the direction of head coach Klint Kubiak. However, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins is currently at the top of Las Vegas’ depth chart for the time being. Of course, it really is a matter of time before Mendoza gets the nod, but with rookie quarterbacks, it is not always to cut them loose right away.

Most bet NCAAF props and markets

A variety of schools also have early markets on how many wins they achieve in 2026. This includes teams in the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, and more.

• Ohio State is still the projected winner to win the Big Ten Conference championship at +180. In the last OSB update, the Buckeyes were at +180, so the odds have remained steady here. Indiana has risen steadily at +250 (when they were +260 in the last report, but have not stayed at +250), while Oregon is at +260 to win the conference title (this has not moved). The top three have not changed much here, and USC is still a distant fourth at +1400.
• The Miami Hurricanes are still the favorites to win the ACC at -136 (they moved slightly down from -135). Indeed, though, the Hurricanes are a dominant favorite here with SMU still trailing at +700, so the trends have stayed similar over the course of the early summer. Rounding out the top three are the Louisville Cardinals at +800. Miami is a strong favorite here thanks to a stacked roster of playmakers, including a Heisman dark horse at quarterback.
• Going back to our usual Texas A&M update, the Aggies have an 8.5-win total, with the over now favored at -115. This line has moved steadily between -110 in our last update to -120 and also bumped to -118 at some point. Under third-year head coach Mike Elko, the team is adjusting to significant turnover on the offensive line and defense as well. However, it would appear that sportsbook patrons are still bullish on the Aggies making another strong run this year.