Quarterback to Back: Sam Jackson V, Cowboys Host Brendan Sorsby, Cincy for Homecoming

The quarterback situation has been, well a situation at Oklahoma State this year.

According to OSU head coach Doug Meacham, Hauss Hejny is jumping, and Zane Flores is expected back soon. The shirtless crowd assembled in Section 231 got hyped when Noah Walters threw a touchdown in garbage time, but it looks like wide receiver Sam Jackson V will make his second start as the Cowboys’ QB for their Homecoming matchup with Cincinnati. Also, Meacham has reportedly delegated play-calling responsibilities to QBs coach Kevin Johns.

All of that to say, the QB situation has been fluid, to put it nicely. In Cincy, things have been a lot more concrete.

The Bearcats will slide into Boone Pickens Stadium on a five-game win streak led by Brendan Sorsby, who’s low-key been one of the best quarterbacks in the country over the first half of the season. (Maybe it’s not low-key anymore.)

We’ll dig into what the Cowboys’ defense can expect from the Bearcats’ passing attack, but first let’s take a look at the two passers’ numbers so far in 2025.

Sorsby kinda laid an egg in the Bearcats’ season opener, but since then he’s been on a tear. He’s one of more efficient and effective QBs the Cowboys will see all year.

In a loss to a ranked Nebraska team, Sorsby went just 13-for-25 for 69 yards, throwing no TDs and an interception. He did have two rushing scores. But since then, he’s not thrown an interception and has multiple passing scores in each of the last five games.

The Bearcats are pretty balanced, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in passing offense averaging 259.5 yards per game and seventh in rushing (190 avg.). But what you get in Sorsby is an effective leader who doesn’t make mistakes and can attack a defense in multiple ways.

He’s not only 10th in ESPN’s QBR metric, but he’s also in the top 10 nationally in both passer rating and yards per attempt. Pro Football Focus gives him an offensive grade of 90.1 which is 11th among QBs and on deep throws his grade is 93.5 with five TDs and that long interception, which again was in Week 1.

The Cowboys’ pass rush will have a hard time containing Sorsby. He’s the Bearcats’ third-leading rusher with 327 yards and five rushing scores while averaging 6.3 per run. He’s only been sacked once this year not only due to his ability to move the sticks with his sticks, but because the vet can keep his cool. Sorsby retains a PFF offensive rating of 88.3 while under pressure and 73.4 when blitzed.

Sorsby and the Bearcats’ balanced attack will provide a tough test for a Cowboys’ defense that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in most important defensive stats and has shown no consistent threat of slowing down anybody. That test will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday inside BPS.