Texas Tech’s quarterback picture appears to be coming into focus, and Joey McGuire sounded increasingly confident that Will Hammond could be the guy when the Red Raiders open the season against ACU.
Speaking Tuesday at the Big 12 Football Media Days in Frisco, McGuire pointed to Hammond as the most likely starter for Week 1, while still leaving the final call tied to the medical side of things.
“Where we are right now,” said McGuire at the Star in Frisco during the conference's annual media day press conference. “I can see Will Hammond starting that first game. We will leave that up to the doctors and the medical staff, but he's in a really good spot.”
That’s a notable shift in a quarterback situation that has been under the microscope all offseason after the saga involving former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, whom Tech initially signed via the transfer portal. With that situation settled, Hammond now looks like the front-runner.
The 6’2 redshirt sophomore has been in Lubbock for three seasons and has appeared in 12 games, most of those in relief. A former four-star quarterback from Austin, he’s spent much of his college career coming off the bench before being thrust into a bigger role last season.
His most eye-catching moment came in Texas Tech’s Big 12 opener at then-No. 16 Utah.
After starter Behren Morton left in the third quarter with a head injury while scrambling, Hammond stepped in and delivered. He threw for 142 yards, completed 81% of his passes and tossed two touchdowns as the Red Raiders erupted for 24 fourth-quarter points in a 34-10 win.
Hammond later got more snaps in relief before earning his first start on the road at Arizona State. He again topped 100 passing yards, finished with two touchdowns and completed 60% of his throws in a 26-22 loss to the Sun Devils.
McGuire pointed back to that Utah game when talking about what Hammond brings to the offense.
“One thing I could say, if you wanted to see what Will Hammond was. Watch him coming off the bench against Utah,” said McGuire.
“The way the players reacted when he came into that game. The belief and the love they had for him, so we are fortunate to have him.”
Hammond’s path back has been a major part of the offseason conversation, too. He suffered a torn ACL in his second start for Tech against Oklahoma State in 2025, which left his availability for the start of this season in doubt. He did not take part in spring activities while continuing his rehab, but McGuire’s comments this week suggest the recovery has gone well enough to put him in position for Week 1.
Texas Tech opens against Abilene Christian on Saturday, September 5, at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
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