LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond said Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire told him the Red Raiders’ preseason ranking is a verdict on the quarterback position, in an interview with Brett McMurphy of On3 published Wednesday morning.
“McGuire straight up said ‘Will, people are doubting you. If Sorsby was still our quarterback, we’d be in the top five in the preseason rankings. But because it’s you, we’re No. 12,'” Hammond said.
The Associated Press put out its preseason Top 25 on Aug. 17. Texas Tech landed at No. 12 with 983 points, the same spot it held in the U.S. LBM coaches poll earlier in the month. Only one preseason ranking in program history has been higher: No. 8 in 1977. Four Big 12 teams made the poll, with Texas Tech ahead of No. 14 BYU, No. 21 Utah, and No. 23 Houston.
The doubt is what Hammond wants.
“What’s the fun in competing when no one’s hating on you?” Hammond explained.
Brendan Sorsby’s Exit and What It Changed at Quarterback
Brendan Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati in January as ESPN‘s No. 1-ranked player in the portal. Texas Tech learned of his gambling history in April, after the NCAA opened an investigation, and the school ruled him ineligible.
Sorsby admitted he had wagered roughly $90,000 on college and professional sports over four years. That included 40 bets involving Indiana football during his freshman season with the Hoosiers in 2022. He filed suit against the NCAA on May 18. Lubbock County District Judge Ken Curry granted a temporary injunction June 8 that imposed a two-game suspension and otherwise cleared Sorsby to play. The NCAA appealed that afternoon. The Big 12 also sued Texas Tech seeking approval to sanction the program, and Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, wrote in a June 15 open letter that Sorsby would not be part of the team this fall. Sorsby dropped the lawsuit three days later.
McGuire told ESPN in July that Texas Tech would have stayed with Hammond rather than bringing in a transfer starter if Hammond had remained healthy.
Will Hammond’s Return From ACL Surgery
Hammond injured his right knee in his second start last season, a 42-0 win over Oklahoma State on Oct. 25. The injury was a torn ACL. He underwent surgery the following month. Texas Tech announced on July 24 that Hammond would open 2026 as the starter.
Hammond played in 8 games last season and completed 69 of 109 passes, good for 63.3%. He threw for 680 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He carried 43 times for 299 yards and 5 touchdowns. No Texas Tech quarterback had run for that many yards in a season since Jett Duffey gained 369 in 2018.
Hammond earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 22 after coming in for Behren Morton at Utah. He completed 13 of 16 passes for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 2024, his redshirt freshman season, Hammond threw for 471 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Morton threw for 2,780 yards with 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2025. He left Texas Tech with 8,989 career passing yards, fourth-most in program history. The New England Patriots selected Morton in the seventh round in April with the 234th overall pick.
Hammond also talked with ESPN’s Max Olson for a story published Monday. He said the way people have talked about Texas Tech since January has become daily motivation inside the program.
“I love that narrative that people think we’re going to take a step back, that people think this team isn’t going to be what it was supposed to be in January,” Hammond said. “That’s something that fuels us every day. I’m really excited to prove that narrative wrong.”
Texas Tech’s Opener Against Abilene Christian
Texas Tech went 12-2 last season and captured the program’s first Big 12 championship. All 12 wins came by at least 20 points, a school record for victories in a season and a margin feat only four other teams had accomplished since 1936. The season ended with a 23-0 loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl. Texas Tech finished No. 8 in the final AP poll.
Abilene Christian comes to Lubbock on Saturday for a 6 p.m. CT game on FS1. The teams last met in the 2024 opener, when Texas Tech escaped 52-51 in overtime after Abilene Christian failed on a two-point conversion. Hammond will make his fourth career start Saturday, his first since the ACL injury.
It will also be the first game played under the stadium’s new name. Texas Tech announced a 15-year naming rights deal with Galaxy on July 17, changing Jones AT&T Stadium to Galaxy Stadium. The school sold out its season-ticket allotment for the fourth year in a row. More than 33,400 season tickets were sold, with a 95% renewal rate.
Texas Tech travels to Oregon State on Sept. 12 after the opener. Big 12 play begins six days later, when the Red Raiders host Houston on Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. CT.
