Texas Tech will rely on Will Hammond at quarterback if Brendan Sorsby is not allowed to play college football in 2026. There is only one problem.
He is coming back from a torn ACL…
It will be a serious problem for the Red Raiders neither of these two guys are able to play college football next season. Their national title aspirations would take a huge hit.
Who is Will Hammond?
The coaching staff in Lubbock was very high on Hammond out of high school. The 6-foot-1.5, 190-pound signal-caller ranked as a four-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 2024. He ranked as the No. 14 player at his position, the No. 38 player from the state of Texas and the No. 225 player overall.
Will Hammond accounted for more than 5,000 total yards of offense as a senior at Hutto High School with 48 total touchdowns. That includes 3,901 yards passing on a 61.3% clip with 1,094 yards rushing.
Not only did Hammond finish as a finalist for the Mr. Texas Football Award, he was invited to throw at Elite 11. There was a lot of buzz about his potential and for good reason. Just turn on the tape!
Hammond ultimately committed to Texas Texas over offers from Oregon, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, among others. Some of these high school football standouts are unable to replicate their success on the next level when they face better defenses. He did not have that problem in 2024.
The true freshman quarterback completed 61.4% of his passes for 471 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for two touchdowns. The picks weren’t great but it was a good look at his potential.
Last season was on pace to be even better.
Head coach Joey McGuire even said that he “may set every record in the history books at Texas Tech in his career.” He completed 63.3% of his passes for 680 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions and ran for 299 yards and five touchdowns in limited action over the first eight games.
And then he tore his ACL in October…
How long does it take to recover from a torn ACL?
The health of Will Hammond is obviously a concern in Lubbock. However, the Red Raiders spent a fortune during the offseason to sure-up its quarterback room for next season.
Texas Tech landed Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati to serve as the starter for 2026. Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis was going to serve as the backup, which would allow Hammond to get back to full health and to then take the keys to the offense in 2027. He did not need to rush. He is the future of the program.
That plan quickly fell apart when Sorsby suddenly checked into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction at the end of April. His future with the program is unclear. His future in college football is uncertain. It is now up to the courts whether he will be allowed to play next season.
If he is not cleared to compete, the Red Raiders will need Hammond more than they thought.
Fortunately, it sounds like things are going better than expected. His private quarterback coach (and former NFL journeyman), Jeff Christensen, gave a promising update to Pete Nakos.
“The knee is getting better at a rapid pace; it’s going really well.”
Seems promising, right? Recent videos of Hammond’s workouts show him throw without issue.
He looks comfortable alongside some of the top quarterbacks in college football, both past and present.
This was the clip that really got my attention:
👀 https://t.co/QPtM8gl90i pic.twitter.com/QjkuXtxweP
— Ben Golan (@BenjaminGolan) May 4, 2026
The standard recovery from a torn ACL generally takes six to nine months. That would put Hammond on track for early August, if not sooner. There is a growing optimism that he could be ready by Week 1 but that may not even be necessary. He could wait.
Texas Tech begins the season with Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Those are winnable games even without a quarterback. Houston in Week 3 will be a tough game but still very winnable with a backup. Sam Houston State in Week 4 is like Weeks 1 and 2.
If the Red Raiders can begin the season at 4-0, they could get Will Hammond back in time for conference play. That would be huge. The only concern is if they will rush him. That could do more harm than good.