FRISCO — Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby still remembers his only high school game at Ford Center.
“I broke my hand here,” Sorsby, a former Lake Dallas quarterback, said during Big 12 Media Days at The Star in Frisco. “You don’t want to bring that up to my buddies or anything because they always hold a grudge on me like it was my fault that I broke my hand.”
While his last appearance at The Star left a bad taste in Sorsby’s mouth, the Denton native still holds fond memories of his time in North Texas and playing for Lake Dallas.
“We definitely had some tough seasons while I was there, but we figured it out my senior season,” Sorsby said. “Lake Dallas taught me a lot of valuable lessons about staying loyal, staying true to who you are and finding a way through the tough times.”
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Sorsby has come a long way from Lake Dallas. He’s one of nine returning quarterbacks in the Big 12 who threw for at least 2,400 yards last season.
In his first season at Cincinnati last year after transferring from Indiana, Sorsby established himself as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. He threw for 2,813 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 447 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the only FBS quarterback last season to log a 425-yard passing game (Sept. 29, 2024 vs. Texas Tech) and a 125-yard rushing game (Nov. 16, 2024 vs. Iowa State).
However, Sorsby’s first season in Cincinnati wasn’t a smooth ride. After leading the Bearcats to a 5-2 start in their inaugural Big 12 season, Cincinnati ended the season on a five-game losing streak and missed out on bowl eligibility. Sorsby threw for five touchdowns and three interceptions during that skid.
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“Just staying consistent throughout the game, not trying to force anything.” Sorsby said when asked about what he learned last season and is looking to bring into this year. “Being situationally aware. I feel like I’m usually pretty good about it, but just taking care of the football. You always want to try to win the game for the team, but sometimes it’s about not losing.”
During his high school days, Sorsby said he stayed loyal to Lake Dallas despite transfer interest from other schools. In an era of college football with player movement on the rise, Sorsby struck a deal to return to Cincinnati despite a difficult season.
“If we didn’t believe in what we have with the staff and everybody coming back and all the guys we knew we could bring in with the culture we’ve built, we wouldn’t have come back,” Sorsby said. “We do believe in that and we believe this team can be successful… That’s why we decided to come back.”
Welcome back:! See photos from Big 12 Media Day at Ford Center in Frisco
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