Texas Tech is preparing a bigger role for Thomas Castellanos this week, and that could make the quarterback conversation even louder in Lubbock.
ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported on X that “Castellanos will receive an uptick in snaps against Arizona on Saturday. Both he and Will Hammond will play significant snaps for the Red Raiders in the wake of the loss at Cincinnati this weekend.”
That leaves the next question hanging in the air: does Castellanos merely mix in more often, or does he end up taking over as the starter?
It is a tricky spot for head coach Joey McGuire and his offensive staff. Castellanos is not a typical backup.
The fifth-year senior has real starting mileage at the Power-4 level, with 32 starts split between Boston College and Florida State. He has also logged 2,160 college snaps.
Before arriving in Lubbock, Castellanos put up 6,449 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns, while adding 1,984 rushing yards and 24 more scores on the ground. The drawback is impossible to ignore: he has also thrown 29 interceptions in his career.
Texas Tech may be at the point where it has to live with that tradeoff. Hammond has shown flashes this season, but he still has not found any real consistency through seven games. His latest outing was his roughest yet, as he threw for just 227 yards and completed only 64.9% of his passes against a Cincinnati defense that entered the weekend as the third-worst in America in passing yards allowed per game.
The timing matters here. With the loss to the Bearcats, the Red Raiders can’t afford to wait around for Hammond to settle in. Another defeat would likely wipe out any shot at repeating as Big 12 champions and would also end playoff dreams.
And the schedule is not easing up. Arizona, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State are next, and all three are among the nation’s better offensive teams. Texas Tech may have to be ready for shootouts, whether it likes that script or not.
What complicates the decision is how little Castellanos has been asked to do so far. He arrived in Lubbock just a week before the season began after being ruled eligible by a Kentucky court. Since then, Tech has largely protected him and kept his responsibilities centered around the red zone.
The one time he was asked to steer a meaningful drive outside that area, it went badly. On Tech’s first offensive play against Houston, he threw an interception.
Still, the moment feels like it has arrived to see what he can really handle. Texas Tech does not have the luxury of waiting much longer, and the quarterback issue needs to be settled quickly.
If that means giving Castellanos the chance to run with it, even if Hammond temporarily steps aside, that may be the path McGuire has to take. The Red Raiders have tried one approach, and it is not working.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Just Created A Quarterback Debate Fans Didnt Expect
Joey McGuire made the kind of quarterback call that can reshape a season, and Thomas Castellanos rewarded it in a big way against No. 22 Arizona. In his first start, Castellanos helped Texas Tech to a 34-26 win by piling up 261 total yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, while the Red Raiders controlled the line of scrimmage and got strong play from their linebackers.
The victory pushed Texas Tech to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play, but it also left the program with a new question it did not seem to expect this late in the year. McGuires decision worked, the offense looked different with Castellanos at the controls, and now the Red Raiders have to sort out what comes next at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Has A Huge Week 9 Chance In The Big 12 Race
Week 9 is loaded with games that could reshape the Big 12 race and the broader playoff picture, and Texas Techs meeting with Arizona sits right in the middle of that conversation. The Red Raiders are part of a slate that also includes Utah against Cincinnati and a handful of heavyweight nonconference matchups, so every result around them carries some extra weight as the standings start to tighten.
For Texas Tech, the Arizona game is more than just another October test. It comes with the usual mix of injuries and recent form shaping the outlook, and it lands in a week where the conference picture could shift quickly. With so many contenders involved in consequential games, the Red Raiders know this one could say a lot about where they stand when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech May Have Found A Much Higher Ceiling On Offense
Thomas Castellanos gave Texas Tech a different gear on offense in the kind of game that can reshape a season. After taking over as the starting quarterback in place of Will Hammond, Castellanos helped steer a late drive that ended with J'Koby Williams bursting for a 64-yard run and sealing a 34-26 win over Arizona, a result that carried real weight in the Big 12 race.
The numbers only tell part of the story, though they do underline the shift. Castellanos threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns while adding 117 rushing yards and another score, giving the Red Raiders a balanced threat they had been searching for. For a team trying to climb in the conference, the bigger question now is whether this version of the offense is the new baseline or just a promising snapshot. [Read more 🡒]