Will Hammond, a redshirt freshman quarterback, came off the bench in place of injured starter Behren Morton, who was injured on the Red Raiders\u2019 first drive of the second half.<\/p>\n
While the Texas Tech offense was forced to punt a couple of times with Hammond at the controls, he ended up shredding Utah\u2019s defense in a 34-10 win over the Utes. <\/p>\n
With the Red Raiders clinging to a 13-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Hammond engineered three-straight touchdown drives, including a pair of TD passes. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound gunslinger threw for 169 yards and rushed for 61 more. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was so fun to watch him come off the bench and not break stride and absolutely run and throw and outwork Utah\u2019s defense to such a successful degree,\u201d recalled Marshall Hammond, who resides in Austin, Texas. \u201cWill had a couple of runs that were crazy. Countless passes that tore up the defense. It was a massive family affair. It was so fun to watch with the cross-section of my dearest friends and family who enjoy football. It was an absolute highlight of my life to watch the University of Utah go down to my son\u2019s team.\u201d<\/p>\n
No doubt many devout BYU fans also enjoyed watching the dismantling of their archrival. <\/p>\n
What made it especially gratifying to Marshall Hammond was the fact he grew up not far from Utah\u2019s campus in Holladay, where he attended Olympus High. When he was a junior at Olympus, in 1984, he worked as the photographer for the school newspaper, The Thunderbolt. Marshall stood on the sidelines at the venue then known as Rice Stadium, capturing images of Olympus\u2019 39-13 thumping of Alta as the Titans clinched their first state football championship.<\/p>\n
Last fall, everything came full circle. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was absolutely surreal. I don\u2019t know if it was louder that day or louder in 1984,\u201d Marshall Hammond said about the two experiences, separated by 41 years. \u201cI was absolutely losing my mind up in the stands, watching Will. That game was phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Few people knew what Will\u2019s performance meant to the Hammond family, let alone all the Hammonds\u2019 connections to Utah\u2019s archrival, BYU. <\/p>\n
Marshall earned both his bachelor\u2019s and MBA degrees from BYU, where he met his wife, Julie, also a BYU graduate.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe run deep and wide with BYU blood,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Will\u2019s first quarterback lessons came from none other than legendary, Heisman Trophy-winning former BYU QB Ty Detmer<\/a>. <\/p>\n Will Hammond grew up longing to play for the Cougars and he shined at BYU summer football camps as a youngster. But he never received an offer from the school. <\/p>\n Suffice it to say, he\u2019d love to get a crack at playing the Cougars at some point in his career.<\/p>\n Last season, Texas Tech played, and beat, BYU twice, including in the Big 12 championship game. For that reason alone, Texas Tech has become one of BYU\u2019s biggest Big 12 rivals. <\/p>\n But Will Hammond didn\u2019t play in either contest last season. A little more than a month after defeating Utah, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The Red Raiders and Cougars don\u2019t play in the regular season but they could be on a collision course to meet again in the Big 12 title game in December. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a likely outcome,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cIt\u2019s already being talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n Detmer has kept a keen eye on Will\u2019s development over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that will probably be motivation for Will when they play the Cougs,\u201d Detmer said. \u201cHe\u2019ll be ready for that one.\u201d <\/p>\n How Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches.<\/p>\n Will Hammond has recovered from his knee injury and he is the expected starter going into the 2026 campaign after Texas Tech\u2019s planned starter, Brendan Sorsby, left the school following a gambling controversy<\/a>. <\/p>\n So how did a quarterback who\u2019s a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and grew up a diehard BYU fan, wind up in Lubbock, Texas? <\/p>\n Detmer\u2019s influence<\/p>\n While Marshall Hammond didn\u2019t play football, he had the size for it, and his sons showed a lot of potential in the sport at a young age.<\/p>\n The Hammonds have five children \u2014 three boys and two girls. Will is their fourth child.<\/p>\n Dallin Hammond, their oldest son, played football until eighth grade, and was a talented safety, but he was more suited for cross-country and swimming. <\/p>\n Their second son, Reed, played quarterback at Round Rock High in Austin. Detmer was Reed\u2019s private coach and that\u2019s how the Hammonds got to know the former Cougar star, not long before Detmer was hired by Kalani Sitake<\/a> as BYU\u2019s offensive coordinator from 2016-17. <\/p>\n \u201cTy was a great resource,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cHe refined Reed\u2019s throwing and defense-reading.\u201d<\/p>\n Reed is about seven years older than Will, who attended those coaching sessions with Detmer, though he was in grade school. <\/p>\n Sometimes, a summer thunderstorm would force the participants inside to watch film sessions.<\/p>\n \u201c(Will) would sit there and watch and listen and soak it up,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cHe\u2019s been a student of the game for a really long time. Will would sit there on the ground, legs crossed, wrapping his head around everything Ty was saying. He developed a football vocabulary very early on at Ty\u2019s feet.\u201d<\/p>\n Detmer, who\u2019s currently the head coach at American Leadership Academy Gilbert North in Arizona, laughed remembering a young Will Hammond.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was just a kid bouncing around. He\u2019d catch balls for his brother. We never really worked on any QB stuff,\u201d Detmer said. \u201cHe was probably listening a little bit. He was a little guy then. He was out there just having fun, running around.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been cool to see his development. He wasn\u2019t scared to be out there in the mix. He was a typical younger brother. He liked being out there. He had fun doing whatever I asked him to do.\u201d<\/p>\n As Will grew up, it became clear that he had the talent, and the drive, to play in college.<\/p>\n During his little league career, Will\u2019s team ran gassers at the end of practice and he\u2019d outpace the entire team, including coaches who were former Division I players.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople would say to me, \u2018Wow, that kid is going to play on Saturdays.\u2019 He just loved it,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cIt\u2019s never been me trying to live out my childhood dream of football stardom through my children. I just sit behind and support it. I\u2019d pay the fees, drive them to practice and make sure they have a fresh football every fall. It\u2019s always been them just running with it.<\/p>\n Detmer has watched Will\u2019s progress as a quarterback from afar, including last year\u2019s victory at Utah. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was fun to watch. He just jumped right in there and (Texas Tech) didn\u2019t skip a beat,\u201d Detmer said. \u201cIt\u2019s what you saw in high school early on with him.<\/p>\n \u201cJust seeing him play, especially early in his career \u2026 he\u2019s a real mature type of kid for his age. That\u2019s the first thing that impresses you. Then he makes all of the throws. He did a great job coming in as needed last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Dreams of playing for the Cougars<\/p>\n As part of Will\u2019s development, the Hammonds paid for him to attend BYU football camps during the summers from the time he was 7 until his junior year of high school. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are 1,071 miles between my house and BYU\u2019s campus. That\u2019s a lot of round trips in one minivan, getting him up there,\u201d Marshall Hammond said.<\/p>\n Will didn\u2019t just participate in the camps; there were years when he turned in impressive performances. <\/p>\n He was named \u201cfastest eighth grader\u201d one year. \u201cI\u2019ve got a photo of Will in (LaVell Edwards Stadium) with his medal around his neck,\u201d Marshall Hammond said.<\/p>\n As a sophomore at Hutto High outside Austin, Will beat out a senior for the starting QB job. <\/p>\n As a junior, he attended the BYU camp and was named MVP. <\/p>\n According to Marshall Hammond, Sitake met Will, talked to him and watched his son\u2019s film. Will also spoke with offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, his father said.<\/p>\n From that point on, according to Marshall Hammond, there was no official communication from BYU.<\/p>\n For Will, playing for BYU would have been \u201cthe dream,\u201d Marshall Hammond said: \u201cWill and Reed had extensive BYU football gear. They proudly wore that stuff in middle school and high school. That was what they dreamed of doing.\u201d <\/p>\n The Hammonds figured Will was on BYU\u2019s radar. But Will didn\u2019t receive any offers from BYU.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was, initially, shockingly disappointing,\u201d Marshall Hammond said.<\/p>\n During his recruitment, Will ended up with 11 scholarship offers, including Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, Penn State and, of course, Texas Tech. <\/p>\n In 2023, Will was part of the Elite 11, the premier high school quarterback competition and training program in the country. He was part of a class that included Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway. <\/p>\n One of the finalists for the Elite 11 that year was Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of former BYU star Zach Wilson<\/a>, who was taken No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL draft. While Isaac Wilson was recruited by the Cougars, he signed with Utah<\/a>. <\/p>\n In 2024, BYU signed high school quarterback Noah Lugo<\/a>, from Texas. By the end of the 2024 season, Lugo transferred to UTSA<\/a>. Another high school signee, Enoch Watson, from Arizona, who was coached by Detmer and former BYU quarterback Max Hall in high school, signed with the Cougars<\/a> as well. He served a church mission before enrolling and joined the roster during the offseason. <\/p>\n In 2024, Jake Retzlaff was BYU\u2019s starting QB. The Cougars added quarterback depth with Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon and Treyson Bourguet. Bourguet remains on BYU\u2019s roster. <\/p>\n This season, Bear Bachmeier is entering his second season as the Cougars\u2019 starting QB after turning in a strong freshman campaign.<\/p>\n \u2018A tough situation\u2019<\/p>\n Detmer understands from experience the difficult position BYU coaches are in when it comes to recruiting. <\/p>\n \u201cBYU obviously has been able to recruit well and get guys in there. Unfortunately, for LDS kids that grow up to be that, there\u2019s one spot a year. You get one shot at it. It\u2019s a crapshoot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 \u00a0Ty Detmer on the challenges of recruiting QBs<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tough situation, especially at that position, where you\u2019re taking one,\u201d he said. \u201cBYU obviously has been able to recruit well and get guys in there. Unfortunately, for LDS kids that grow up to be that, there\u2019s one spot a year. You get one shot at it. It\u2019s a crapshoot. Until you get a kid there and until you really know what makes them tick and how they operate, you don\u2019t know for sure how guys are going to pan out. There\u2019s no perfect evaluation process for kids coming out of high school.\u201d<\/p>\n The recruiting site On3<\/a> ranked Will as a 93-rated four-star quarterback, the No. 161 overall player in the 2024 class. He was listed as the No. 12 overall quarterback and the No. 26 player in the state of Texas. <\/p>\n Will began his career at Texas Tech in January 2024. That season, he played in four games with one start in the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas. <\/p>\n Marshall Hammond said his son handled the recruiting process with grace and maturity. <\/p>\n \u201cHe processed it just fine,\u201d the father said. \u201cMy guidance to him was that he should go where he\u2019s most wanted. He should go to the program that does the best job of building a relationship with him. He should go to the program that invests in their relationship with him. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was easy to rule out BYU based on those criteria, despite his abiding interest in going. I had made the case to him that BYU was the best place that was a combination of academics, athletics and the spiritual. … <\/p>\n \u201cLaying that truth up against the competing truth of, you should go where you\u2019re most wanted, the prospect of walking on at BYU versus being courted and recruited by Texas Tech, who sent coaches down at every NCAA-permitted opportunity to observe him and meet with him and talk to his coach and talk to us and come to dinner at our house,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt was easy to say, they didn\u2019t really want me. These other places want me. It was pretty easy to choose Texas Tech after the great job they did recruiting him and developing that relationship. They did an outstanding job.\u201d<\/p>\n Detmer said in the recruiting process, things work themselves out, on both sides. A lot of Latter-day Saint quarterbacks dream of playing at BYU, for the chance to represent their faith, and to continue the long-standing heritage of star-studded, record-breaking, All-American quarterbacks the school has produced, like Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco and Detmer. <\/p>\n \u201c(Will) fell into a great situation. He\u2019s making the most of it. You never know what happens down the road,\u201d Detmer said. \u201cGuys come and go. He\u2019s going to get his opportunity this year. It\u2019s a hard thing finding that one guy that fits. You\u2019ve got to pick one guy and go on it. It\u2019s a hard thing for coaches at BYU, speaking from experience.\u201d<\/p>\n As it turned out, Texas Tech is the school where his son belongs, Marshall Hammond said.<\/p>\n \u201cHis development at Texas Tech is different than it could have been at BYU. It\u2019s a fantastic place for him. I\u2019m enjoying having him six hours away by car instead of six hours away by plane, trains and automobile trying to get to Provo. It\u2019s easy to get up to Lubbock.\u201d<\/p>\n Will Hammond has assimilated into the Texas Tech culture and he also enjoys being heavily involved in the Latter-day Saint community on campus, including missionary work. <\/p>\n \u201cHe gets to the temple regularly (in Lubbock),\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cWill\u2019s enjoying the (Young Single Adult) ward on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n An ACL injury \u2026 and the Sorsby situation <\/p>\n Weeks after the win at Utah, Texas Tech was hosting Oklahoma State. <\/p>\n The Hammonds attended the game, as usual, sitting in their seats at the 50-yard line, below the bowl. <\/p>\n In the second quarter, Will, making his second start of the season in place of Morton, threw a touchdown pass before sustaining a noncontact injury during a run.<\/p>\n When Will went down, Marshall immediately thought he had landed awkwardly. He thought that maybe he had sprained his ankle. <\/p>\n Eventually, Will texted his dad, letting him know that it was a knee injury. It was his ACL. After the game, the family met Will by the office of the team trainer. <\/p>\n \u201cWill was pretty somber,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cHe walked with the stride of a 70-year-old man. He walked under his own power, with no crutches.\u201d<\/p>\n Then they met with the team doctor, who informed Will he was facing a long road to recovery \u2014 six to nine months before he could run again. <\/p>\n Former Texas Tech assistant coach C.J. Ah You, a former BYU defensive player who is now coaching with the NFL\u2019s Pittsburgh Steelers, gave Will some sage advice.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had three (ACL injuries),\u201d he said. \u201cAttack your rehab the way you attack game prep and you\u2019ll be fine.\u201d <\/p>\n That was the best counsel Will has received, Marshall Hammond said. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve quoted that line back-and-forth between myself and Will ever since. That\u2019s been his rally cry, to attack his rehab the way he attacked game prep. And he has. He\u2019s been in the training facility six to seven hours a day, every day. It\u2019s been his full-time job.\u201d<\/p>\n Because of Will\u2019s injury status, Texas Tech signed a quarterback during the offseason, Cincinnati\u2019s Brendan Sorsby.<\/p>\n While Sorsby, a fifth-year senior, was seen as the starter for the 2026 season, Will never saw it that way. <\/p>\n \u201cHe always viewed himself as the starter and Sorsby as his backup. By saying that, Sorsby was brought in because Will got hurt,\u201d Marshall Hammond said. \u201cEven though Will intended to compete for the job once he was healthy, he really learned a lot from Brendan as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n From Sorsby, Will learned about how to improve his ability to throw on the run and read defenses. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was glad to lean into that with Brendan as well with film study,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n At Texas Tech, Sorsby was the source of plenty of drama<\/a> during the offseason that ultimately resulted in him leaving the Texas Tech program in June in the wake of a gambling scandal and legal battles. Sorsby admitted to betting thousands of dollars in sports bets, including on his own team. The NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible. <\/p>\n Sorsby and Texas Tech mutually parted ways after a bizarre legal saga. Sorsby declared for the NFL supplemental draft, which the NFL decided not to hold this year. Sorsby is focused on preparing himself for the draft in 2027. <\/p>\n \u201cBrendan and Will had a healthy relationship down to the end,\u201d Marshall Hammond said.<\/p>\n \u2018Super bright future\u2019 <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WR4ONJZ4IVFE3OA6LIB2ZAQHHU.jpg\")
A young Will Hammond poses for a picture with BYU coach Kalani Sitake and BYU legend Ty Detmer at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. | Courtesy Hammond family <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/RSWVHZQHAVF3ZPDVNJAUTESVNI.jpg\")
Will Hammond poses on steps at Texas Tech, where he will be the starting QB in 2026. | Courtesy Hammond family <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MRKVEI5IXZDWFLOUI3Z33EKKLM.jpg\")
Will Hammond gets his photo taken in Cougars gear after being recognized as the MVP at a BYU football camp during his high school days. | Courtesy Hammond family <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/OD32KUOS7BCSTMR4N6MHX57G3U.jpg\")
Will Hammond grew up dreaming of being a BYU Cougar, and began attending BYU camps when he was just 7 years old \u2014 even though it meant traveling in the family van 1,071 to get there. | Courtesy Hammond family <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/JB2WPHOLC5HJBIEE7WWSFXP3YQ.jpg\")
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond (15) leads the team in a chant prior to a game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. | Chase Seabolt, Associated Press <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/T3YHH4UNO5BZNBZRE76EQEVE34.jpg\")
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, top left, throws a pass during game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. Later in that game, Hammond suffered an ACL injury and was lost for the season. | AP <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/JVLAPOADVFA6ZASEVTAUFE6P3A.jpg\")
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby watches from the stands during basketball game between Texas Tech and Cincinnati Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. | Justin Rex, Associated Press <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SKNRWPTSKZCE5KNMUKUOKJQG5U.jpg\")
Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond smiles after beating Utah Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Associated Press <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AT7GCCTO3NCV5CVZZTGWFHK7BU.jpg\")
Will Hammond, third from the left, poses for a picture with his tight-knit family \u2014 a family that will be paying very close attention to the Red Raiders beginning next month. | Courtesy Hammond family <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marshall Hammond reflects on the day as \u201cone of the happiest moments of my life.\u201d Alongside about 25…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":419884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[24215,27,29,28],"class_list":["post-419883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-news-feed-national","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=419883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/419883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/419884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=419883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=419883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=419883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}