Texas Tech spent the first half of the week waiting on a quarterback decision. After the upset loss at Arizona State, insider reports framed Behren Morton as day-to-day and headed for a midweek evaluation following limited practice work. The uncertainty hung over a Red Raiders offense that sputtered on third down in Tempe and needed clarity before a pivotal Big 12 stretch.
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton is good to go this week against Kansas State. Will Hammond is done for the year with a torn ACL, per Pete Nakos on X.
That update resets everything for Joey McGuire’s group. Morton’s return means Texas Tech regains its timing and full call sheet, particularly the intermediate rhythm throws and tempo packages that have defined its best stretches.
Hammond’s loss, though, is a gut punch. The redshirt freshman had flashed in relief earlier this fall and gamely stepped in when Morton re-injured his knee, adding designed-run value and short-area toughness. With Hammond sidelined, Tech will need depth to hold and the protection to keep Morton clean as he ramps back up.
Morton’s health has yo-yoed this season, but the ceiling is obvious when he’s right. Over his first five starts, he averaged roughly 280 passing yards with a 12-to-3 TD-INT line, pacing an offense that looked like a title contender before injuries and execution dips crept in.
Kansas State’s pressure structures will test his movement within the pocket and his trust in lower-body mechanics; expect quick-game answers, RPOs, and a few early shot calls to re-establish confidence.
Earlier in the week, the expectation was that Morton would be listed as questionable on the Big 12 injury report, with Hammond in line to start if he couldn’t go. Hammond had impressed in cameos against Arkansas–Pine Bluff and Kent State and delivered a spark versus Utah before hitting rougher waters against Arizona State.
With his season now over, Tech’s QB room tightens, and situational football becomes even more critical as the Red Raiders try to re-center their Big 12 trajectory.
Morton’s green light gives Texas Tech its best version of the offense back on the field, but absorbing Hammond’s season-ending blow will demand cleaner details and a next-man-up mindset across the two-deep.
