Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire crowned a massive transfer portal haul by signing Brendan Sorsby, the No. 2 overall player in the portal, from the Cincinnati Bearcats. Sorsby was supposed to fill the gap left by Behren Morton, who led the Red Raiders to the Big 12 championship title and the College Football Playoff last season.
On Monday, the Red Raiders shocked college football when they announced that Sorsby was checking into a residential treatment program to deal with a gambling addiction that could have an impact on his college football eligibility.
Pete Thamel Breaks Down Joey McGuire and Texas Tech’s Quarterback Situation
During this week’s segment of the “College GameDay” podcast, ESPN analyst Pete Thamel revealed the fragility of the Texas Tech quarterback situation due to backup quarterback Will Hammond still recovering from an ACL tear amid the Sorsby controversy.
“The earliest Will Hammond is expected to be back is Week 3, when they play Houston in a game Cody Campbell is unhappy is being played on a Friday night,” Thamel said. “Joey McGuire said about a month ago, that’s the best case scenario for Will Hammond’s return.
“Remember, Will Hammond rocketed up our radars on Sept. 20 at Utah, when he led Texas Tech on that authoritative 34-10 win. He was a revelation. He was unknown at that point. Hammond is a talented quarterback, they think a lot of him at Texas Tech and view him as the future of that program.”
After a bit-part role behind Morton in 2024, Hammond got more playing time whenever the Red Raiders’ QB1 was injured in 2025. After a string of promising performances, Hammond tore his ACL in a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Hammond managed 680 passing yards, resulting in 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while adding 299 rushing yards and 5 scores in limited game time last year. His productivity was an improvement on 2024’s 471 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, while adding 49 rushing yards and 2 scores.
Apart from Sorsby and Hammond, the Red Raiders’ quarterback room includes redshirt freshman Lloyd Jones III, who went 4 of 5 for 2 touchdowns last season, and former Tulsa veteran Kirk Francis, who managed 493 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions for the Golden Hurricane last season.
After a season in which McGuire established the Red Raiders as a major power in college football, their quarterback issues could derail their plans to make a step forward next season.