One of the first major decisions for some rookies after the NFL Draft is what jersey number they wish to wear to kick off their careers.

Sometimes, those numbers work against the rookies, whether it’s players already owning their desired digits or a retired number getting in the way.

Las Vegas Raiders first overall pick Fernando Mendoza had a slight hiccup for his No. 15 heading into the draft. But the man known for the number by the franchise gave his blessing to the quarterback of the future.

“He deserves my blessing,” ex-Raiders quarterback and coach Tom Flores said about Mendoza donning No. 15 next season, according to the team’s official website. “Because if he’s not the real deal, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

The Raiders never formally retired Flores’ number, but he wanted to make sure to let Mendoza know how much he wants him to wear the number Mendoza starred in for the Hoosiers.

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“He’s perfect,” Flores said of the Heisman Trophy winner. “He can make every throw. He can make the plays. What can’t he do? He does it all. He’s fun to watch.”

Flores rocked No. 15 for the Raiders from 1960-66, throwing for over 11,000 yards and 92 touchdowns during that span. He also starred for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days.

After retiring, Flores went into coaching with his old Raiders squad and ended up leading them to a Super Bowl victory in 1981. Then, in 2021, Flores was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mendoza was asked about Flores’ blessing to wear No. 15.

“It speaks to the testament of once a Raider, always a Raider. Of how involved the alumni is. And I’m so blessed to be a part of this organization,” Mendoza said.

“I can’t thank [Flores] enough. I’m so blessed.”

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Mendoza enters his NFL career with high expectations, not just being the No. 1 overall pick, but playing for a proud franchise that is hoping to get back to its Super Bowl-winning ways.

Mendoza will join the rest of the Raiders’ rookie class at minicamp Friday.

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Birmingham coach Matt Mowry works with his players on going with pitches to right field. The Patriots came through with perfection on Wednesday.

Four times in the decisive fourth inning, Birmingham hitters hit outside pitches to right field for base hits, igniting a four-run inning and leading to a 10-2 victory, pulling the Patriots into a first-place tie with El Camino Real in the West Valley League going a Friday game at Birmingham.

Sophomore catcher Jordan Lindsay had the biggest hitting of the fourth, an RBI double down the right-field line to tie the score, 1-1. Ethan Dalumpines followed with RBI single to right field. JuJu Monroe-Truitt and Larkin Fleming also contribued RBI singles to right off Jackson Sellz.

“He’s on us at practice to go to the right side,” Lindsay said of Mowry.

The Patriots blew the game open with a six-run fifth, including an RBI single from Lindsay and one walk and one hit batter with the bases loaded to push across runs. Carlos Acuna threw a complete game. Both teams are seeking a win Friday because the league champion figures to be the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs.

RJ De La Rosa had an RBI single and double for ECR.

Harvard-Westlake 8, Chaminade 0: James Tronstein continued his impressive power display by hitting two home runs, a double and driving in three runs. He has eight home runs on the season. Evan Alexander struck out 10 in five innings.

Norco 1, Corona 0: It took nine innings to settle this Big VIII League showdown with Jayden Serna delivering the walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jordan Ayala threw seven scoreless innings for Norco. Mason Sims gave up one hit in eight innings for Corona.

Sierra Canyon 3, Loyola 2: The Trailblazers won despite home runs from Loyola’s Bobby Rapp and Jack Murray.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8, Bishop Alemany 3: Benett Pace went four for four and Jacob Madrid homered for the Knights.

Carson 6, Narbonne 5: Nate Ruan and Fernando Barajas each had two hits for Carson.

Edison 4, Corona del Mar 0: Noah Hunter struck out 10 and gave up two hits in six innings for Edison.

Ayala 8, Claremont 0: Easton Sarmiento struck out eight in four innings. Caleb Trugman had three hits.

Huntington Beach 2, Newport Harbor 1: Jared Grindlinger thew his first complete game of the season, striking out seven and walking none. Ely Mason had a home run.

JSerra 13, Santa Margarita 3: The Lions hit four home runs, including another from Blake Bowen, in the Trinity League win. Aidan Rae had three RBIs.

Garfield 10, South East 3: Michael Santillan had four hits for Garfield.

Bell 6, Legacy 1: Jayden Rojas had two hits and four RBIs.

Chatsworth 16, Cleveland 1: Nihaan Kothari had three hits and Damian Ayala had three RBIs for Chatsworth.

Granada Hills 12, Taft 0: Landon Tuch had four hits and Luke Chau struck out nine with no walks in five innings for Granada Hills.

West Ranch 6, Hart 5: Josh Price went three for three with three RBIs.

Etiwanda 14, Rancho Cucamonga 2: The Eagles celebrated a Baseline League championship. Adam Ornelas had four hits.

Corona Santiago 13, Corona Centennial 4: Jonathan Thornton had four hits and six RBIs, including a grand slam, for Santiago.

Brendan Sorsby could find himself at a crossroads once he completes his time in rehab pertaining to an addiction to gambling.

There are currently multiple layers to this case, the most important being his eligibility at Texas Tech for the upcoming 2026 season with the NCAA currently investigating whether he placed bets on the outcome of games while on the Indiana roster in 2022.

Though he did end up redshirting, he did see action in one game. His time on the Indiana roster has drawn the most intrigue by those within the NCAA compliance office. Besides the fact that he is also alleged to have bet on pro sports, which includes baseball and the UFC, we have seen a recent uptick in gambling cases involving college athletes.

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The main point of the NCAA’s inquiry, besides his betting on professional sports, was how prevalent his gambling was during his time at Indiana and Cincinnati. 

In speaking with multiple sources regarding the ongoing investigation, which Texas Tech officials were made aware of earlier this month, there is a strong belief that he would be declared ineligible for the upcoming season.

What happens if NCAA proves he gambled on his own team?

For Sorsby, there would be the opportunity for him to file a lawsuit seeking an injunction, in hopes of a local Texas judge overriding an NCAA ruling.

But, given that the NCAA has a pretty strong stance on gambling, and rules are plainly stated, getting an injunction seems like a tough path.

This is obviously different than an eligibility lawsuit that we’ve seen filed over the past few years, and one that the NCAA would fight its hardest to win.

In 2023, the NCAA put in guidelines that punish athletes caught gambling on their own school, or other sports at their school, with a permanent loss of eligibility.

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But, the investigation into Brendan Sorsby would likely need to include an interview with the quarterback, which can not occur while he’s currently in a rehabilitation center.

So, the NCAA would have to wait to question the Texas Tech quarterback, and he’s not obligated to speak if his lawyers feel as though he would not win a case down the road outside a courtroom.

Given that Texas Tech has earmarked a large amount of money for the services of Sorsby, I find it hard to believe they would not fight the NCAA if they were to rule him ineligible for the upcoming season. 

According to sources, the Red Raiders were set to pay him upwards of $6 million for the duration of his time in Lubbock.

Could Sorsby enter the NFL supplemental draft? 

This would certainly be something his team would look into if the NCAA were to declare him ineligible, especially if he were to lose in a Texas court if the quarterback decided to sue to remain on the Texas Tech roster. 

Over the past two years, the NFL supplemental draft that takes place in July has been a dud. But, throw in the current lack of options for athletes that might not be in the best spot at their particular college, or facing a loss of eligibility, the draft could be a received landing spot. 

There has been a case study, in essence. 

In 2011, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was facing a five-game suspension by the NCAA for his role in ‘tattoo gate’ that ended up costing head coach Jim Tressel his job.

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So, instead of facing the NCAA suspension, Pryor was able to enter the supplemental draft, but still had to serve his suspension at the NFL level after being drafted by the Oakland Raiders.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was the one who handed down the suspension, which Pryor did not appeal. In the situation that Sorsby decides to try, it would be up to the NFL to agree to let him enter his name, which they could also decline.

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This could obviously be the route that Brendan Sorsby decides to take, if things continue trending towards him losing his right to play at Texas Tech. 

We’ll find out soon enough, as the investigation into the quarterback continues. 

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