Texas Tech's Will Hammond Injury Update Makes QB A Serious Week 1 Option

LUBBOCK - Texas Tech is at the center of Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, and while the aftermath of the Brendan Sorsby saga still looms over the discussion surrounding the Red Raiders, so, too, does the status of his replacement.

Will Hammond is the obvious next-man-up, but a torn ACL from late October put his early-season availability into question.

However, the redshirt sophomore has been given glowing endorsements by head coach Joey McGuire and his teammates, making Tech's Sept. 5 Week 1 a serious possibility.

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"Will's in a good spot," McGuire said to ESPN. "If we were playing right now, like if we were getting ready for camp, he would be able to do everything. You can get a quarterback ready differently because he's not going to get hit in practice anyway. We feel good about where he's at."

Hammond's place as the QB1 was never in question after Cincinnati transfer Sorsby announced that he'd be forgoing college eligibility and entering the NFL Supplemental Draft, which he was later declined of after a history of serious gambling violations.

The Hutto native Hammond came in last season when Behren Morton was injured. Against Utah on Sept. 20, Hammond was 13-of-16 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns. He added 68 yards rushing in a big road conference win for the Red Raiders, who went on to hoist their first Big 12 championship in December.

"I think he could be, I really do," McGuire said about the possibility of Hammond making an ahead-of-schedule return. "What I love about Will Hammond is, if this situation wouldn't have happened, he would've told you he's the starting quarterback at Texas Tech if he was sitting in this room, no matter who was in that quarterback room. He's extremely confident and believes in his ability. We're really fortunate to have a guy like that."

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The latest concrete date that's been reported for a return is Aug. 21, when Hammond is to be fully cleared for football activities with the Red Raiders. An early estimate of Hammond's return to game competition was set at Tech's Week 3 matchup with Houston, the conference opener, on Sept. 18 in Lubbock. 

Outside of the facility, he's begun throwing and building rapport with a handful of newcomer receivers. Coy Eakin, however, is not one of them. Eakin is entering his fifth year with the program and has been pleasantly surprised by Hammond's immense progress.

"Dude is probably one of the most consistent people I've ever been around," Eakin said to Tech's The Daily Toreador. "I went and threw with him in May during our time off, and I was like, 'How're you feeling?' and he said, 'Dude, I'm already hitting like 20.9 miles per hour in my rehab.'"

Fans in Lubbock don't call him "Wheels Hammond" for nothing. If he's moving that fast at the eight-month-ish mark of his recovery, then that's as good a sign as any of his availability being sooner than expected. Yes, Hammond will still need to prove he can shift laterally and take hits, but that's a process Tech is willing to see through if it means getting their guy healthy under center after an offseason filled with quarterback-related drama.