A sudden legal reversal sidelines the Red Raiders' dual-threat backup, shifting the defensive focus entirely to Will Hammond as undefeated Texas Tech faces its toughest road test yet.
Some of the players who gained a fifth year of eligibility are now watching those decisions being reversed. On Friday, separate court rulings in Ohio and Kentucky left multiple players without eligibility for the 2026-27 season. At least for now until the next challenge is heard before a judge.
One of the players involved in the Kentucky ruling is Texas Tech quarterback Thomas Castellanos. He has been ruled out by Texas Tech for Saturday's game against the Colorado Buffaloes. The backup quarterback for the 12th-ranked Red Raiders had been playing on a temporary restraining order that was overruled. Castellanos and the school are evaluating options for the rest of the season, but he won't be on the field in Boulder.
Castellanos had been serving as Will Hammond's backup during the first four games of the season. He transferred to Texas Tech from Florida State after receiving a temporary restraining order in early August. The Red Raiders scrambled to replace quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was ruled ineligible for the 2026 season following a gambling scandal. The Cincinnati transfer was expected to be one of the best in the nation before admitting to placing thousands of bets, including his own games.
Hammond, who was coming off an ACL injury, has done an outstanding job leading Texas Tech to a 4-0 record. The Red Raiders are trying to return to the College Football Playoff, and defend its Big 12 title. Regardless of any ruling, it's important to note, each of these initial decisions remains temporary.
Castellanos threw for 2,760 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 557 yards and nine scores in his only season with the Seminoles in 2025. He led Florida State to a Week 1 upset of Alabama in Tallahassee. A former UCF and Boston College transfer, Castellanos started 32 career games with a 16-16 record before his arrival in Lubbock. He was invited to a Miami Dolphins mini camp after going undrafted.
With Castellanos out, Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes will only have to focus on Hammond. This will be the toughest test for CU football this season, and the first of back-to-back games against ranked opponents. After Texas Tech leaves, Colorado will regroup over the bye week. They'll then welcome No. 12 Utah into Boulder for the latest edition of Rumble in the Rockies. The Utes are off to their best start with a first-year head coach in over 40 years.
No. 12 Texas Tech at Colorado kicks off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
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