Texas Tech is getting Thomas Castellanos back at quarterback just in time for a tough one.
A Jefferson Circuit Court judge granted Castellanos an injunction against the NCAA, restoring his eligibility and clearing him to play for the Red Raiders against Arizona State on Saturday. The former Florida State quarterback had already gotten a temporary restraining order before the season, which opened the door for a fifth year of eligibility. That ruling was later dissolved by a Kentucky judge, leaving Castellanos ineligible right before Texas Tech’s Week 5 win over Colorado.
Now he’s back in the mix, and that matters for a Texas Tech offense that has been searching for a little more pop. Castellanos has only thrown four passes this season, but he’s already logged 10 carries for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Even if his role stays modest, his mobility gives the Sun Devils something extra to account for.
There’s also a bigger question hovering over Lubbock: what exactly does this mean for the quarterback pecking order?
Will Hammond has been up and down through the opening stretch. Against Sam Houston State, he completed 58.6 percent of his throws and finished with one touchdown and three interceptions. Against Colorado, the Red Raiders’ offense spent most of the afternoon stuck in place, with the Buffaloes ahead well into the third quarter before Texas Tech finally found the end zone.
The numbers reflect the uneven start. With Hammond running the offense, Texas Tech is averaging 406.4 yards per game, which ranks 12th in the Big 12. The scoring output hasn’t exactly been electric either, with the Red Raiders putting up 34.8 points per game, good for eighth in the league.
Castellanos brings a different profile. He has 42 games of experience, and his legs can add a layer this offense hasn’t consistently had. He can be loose with the football at times, but Hammond hasn’t exactly been secure himself, throwing five interceptions in five games.
Texas Tech is still undefeated and remains in the top 10 of the AP Top 25. But if Hammond keeps wrestling with the same issues against better opponents, Joey McGuire may have a decision to make.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Homecoming Just Added A Powerful Pregame Moment
Texas Techs homecoming weekend already had the usual crowd energy and pageantry, but Saturdays football game against Arizona State will carry an added layer of meaning before kickoff. Four Red Raider alumni who now serve in the Texas Army National Guards 36th Combat Aviation Brigade are set to take part in a flyover at Galaxy Stadium, giving the afternoon a hometown connection that fits a day built around tradition and pride.
The pregame moment will include two Chinook helicopters and two Blackhawks, and the weekends recognition wont stay limited to the stadium. The brigades visit also includes stops at UMC Childrens Hospital to spend time with pediatric patients, adding a community element to a sold-out 2:30 p.m. kickoff that already had plenty of attention on its own. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs Season Outlook May Hinge On One Donovan Atwell Fight
A Lubbock judges temporary injunction has given Texas Tech guard Donovan Atwell a chance to keep playing at the collegiate level, at least for now, while his eligibility fight with the NCAA works its way through the courts. Atwell is one of several players from the 2022 recruiting class pushing for a fifth season under the new five-for-five rule, a legal wrinkle that has turned the Red Raiders offseason into more than just a roster-building exercise.
The broader picture in Lubbock is just as unsettled. Texas Tech has other players caught in similar battles, including Darrion Williams and Jamichael Stillwell, with some already protected by temporary injunctions and others still waiting on further hearings. For a program trying to map out its lineup and rotation, the uncertainty around those cases could shape far more than one players status. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Dykes Enters A Pressure Game TCU Fans Can't Ignore
As the Big 12 race tightens, Sonny Dykes finds himself in the same conversation as a couple of other high-profile coaches who cannot afford many missteps right now. TCUs trip into a rivalry matchup with Baylor carries the kind of pressure that tends to sharpen every storyline around a program, and Dykes is being measured not just against the Horned Frogs immediate results, but against the broader expectations that come with the job.
The pressure does not stop there for the leagues most scrutinized sideline voices. Colorados recent play-sheet controversy and skid have only added to the noise around Deion Sanders, while Joey McGuire and Texas Tech are trying to protect an unbeaten start as outside attention keeps building. For Texas Tech, that means every week feels a little heavier, because staying perfect is no longer just about the standings, but about proving the program can handle the spotlight that comes with being chased. [Read more 🡒]