Redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond has started the last two weeks for the Texas Tech Red Raiders due to an injury to their Week 1 starter, Behren Morton. As Morton recovered from a leg injury against Kansas, Hammond led the way for Texas Tech, going 1-1.
However, Hammond is now injured as well. He reportedly suffered a torn ACL in Saturday’s win against Oklahoma State, leaving during the second quarter and never returning. Mitch Griffis came in and finished the job for Texas Tech.
While Hammond is the Red Raiders’ quarterback of the future, this leaves the door open for Week 10. It will be critical for Texas Tech to determine who will be able to start, whether that is Morton or Griffis. Meanwhile, Hammond’s recovery will be important over the offseason, as his timeline is unclear for next season.
Sources: Texas Tech QB Will Hammond will miss the rest of the season, as he tore his ACL in the win over Oklahoma State. He’d been Texas Tech’s back-up this year, shining in two starts in relief of Behren Morton. pic.twitter.com/EFpNIQxKUZ
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 26, 2025
The question for the Red Raiders now is whether Morton will be ready for Week 10 against the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 1. He was listed as questionable on the Big 12 availability report both weeks but did not play.
Head coach Joey McGuire has commended Morton’s toughness, but considering he has been the team’s emergency quarterback in both weeks, his status is certainly in question. It will be a key storyline this week against a Kansas State team that beat the Kansas Jayhawks 42-17 in Lawrence, Kan., last week.
Health under center has been a challenge all year for Texas Tech. The team’s starter has left early due to injuries in half of the games — Morton left games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Utah, and Kansas with injuries, and Hammond against Oklahoma State.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Hammond ends his season with 680 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions, appearing in all eight games and starting two. He also ran for 299 yards and five touchdowns.
Texas Tech hopes that Morton can return after two weeks of recovery. The redshirt senior and Lubbock, Texas, native has thrown for 1,501 yards and 13 touchdowns, with three interceptions in six games. He is tied with Alabama’s Ty Simspon for 17th in PFF passing grade this season (82.7) among players with at least 100 dropbacks.
However, if Morton is not healthy, Griffis will be in line to make his first start of the season. While he has not started a game in scarlet and black, he did make 10 starts for Wake Forest in four years, appearing in 23 games. He has 2,169 career passing yards and a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 17-8.
In relief for Hammond, Griffis completed nine of his 13 pass attempts for 172 yards and one touchdown. He had seven rushes for a loss of seven yards with a rushing touchdown. He showed the capacity to push the ball down the field, recording two big-time plays and four passes of more than 20 yards.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Regardless of who is under center, the running game will continue to be critical to the Red Raiders’ success. Against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech totaled just 88 rushing yards on 40 attempts.
After just a 109-yard game against Arizona State, the recipe for success against Utah, Houston, and Kansas seems to have been lost.
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