Texas Tech’s path back to the College Football Playoff just got a lot murkier, and the issue starts under center.
The Red Raiders are coming off the best season in program history after going 12-2, winning the Big 12 and making their first appearance in the College Football Playoff. That kind of breakthrough naturally raises the bar for the next year. Texas Tech wants another run at the playoff, but an offseason shakeup at quarterback has put that goal in a tougher spot.
The original plan centered on Brendan Sorsby, one of the top-ranked players in the transfer portal. Texas Tech brought him in to stabilize the position, but his situation unraveled when the NCAA ruled him ineligible for the upcoming season after it was revealed that he had been gambling on games, including on his own team when he was a member of the Indiana Hoosiers. Sorsby challenged the NCAA in court and was granted an injunction, but he and Texas Tech ultimately decided it was best for them to part ways.
He then tried to enter the NFL supplemental draft, only for the league to decide not to hold one this season. That leaves Sorsby waiting for the 2027 NFL Draft.
With Sorsby gone, the Red Raiders are leaning on backup quarterback Will Hammond, and that comes with its own concern. Hammond has shown plenty in two seasons in Lubbock, throwing for 1,151 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. But he’s also working back from a torn ACL, which makes the timing of his return the central issue for Texas Tech.
David Pollack addressed that challenge on "See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack."
"You had the luxury of bringing him back very slowly and making sure he was fully healthy," Pollack said. "You don't have that luxury anymore.
Like Sorsby's not there. So now it becomes I kind of need you to get back and get healthy."
Hammond suffered the injury in late October, so if he’s ready for the season opener, it would be less than a year since the setback. ACL recoveries usually take 9-12 months, which puts Texas Tech in a tricky spot: push for immediate production, or make sure he isn’t rushed and forced into another setback.
If Hammond is healthy, Texas Tech still has enough talent to stay in the Big 12 mix. Losing Sorsby changes the outlook, but it doesn’t wipe away the roster’s potential.
The bigger question is whether Hammond’s recovery lines up with the Red Raiders’ urgency to contend right away. That answer may end up deciding whether Texas Tech stays in the College Football Playoff conversation.
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