Texas Tech is finally looking beyond the Brendan Sorsby saga. After weeks of legal battles, NCAA appeals, and uncertainty, Sorsby is no longer part of the program and is preparing for the 2027 NFL Draft. That leaves head coach Joey McGuire with a different challenge. He now has to get his team ready for the season with a new starting quarterback. Fortunately, they have the signal-caller in the building.

“We’re really fortunate to have the leadership that we have, Ben Roberts and Sheridan Wilsona, [the] two captains,” Joey McGuire said on Texas Tech’s July 2 podcast. “We have a lot of guys that are strong leaders on the team, and they understand, man, we have to get to what’s next because we’ve got a game. It’s September 1, and that game’s going to happen no matter what.”

“So we’re preparing to be ready for it, and we’re really fortunate too that we have a young man in Will Hammond. At no time, through any of this, would he have told you that he is a second-string quarterback. He would have said he was going to be the first-string quarterback.”

The biggest contingency plan is simple. Texas Tech is handing the offense to Hammond. The staff has spent months preparing for that possibility because Sorsby’s eligibility remained uncertain throughout the offseason. Throughout the process, the Red Raiders’ head coach signaled to Hammond to be ready to take over, and he has recovered well from his ACL injury. Before the spring practices came to a halt, Hammond began throwing the ball and even led 7-on-7 workouts.

Texas Tech also protected its other young quarterbacks and kept them involved throughout camp. Redshirt freshman Lloyd Jones took meaningful practice reps while Hammond’s rehab limited his workload. McGuire previously admitted that Jones could have started the opener if both Sorsby and Hammond had not been available. That preparation now provides the Red Raiders with another scholarship quarterback with valuable practice experience.

Furthermore, the optimism in Hammond is not a new thing for McGuire and his staff. Even when they began pursuing Sorsby in the portal, the head coach told the media that Hammond’s knee injury changed their offseason plan. Had Hammond stayed healthy, Texas Tech likely would not have searched for a new starting QB.

Hammond arrived at Lubbock as a highly regarded four-star recruit and showed flashes before tearing his ACL last season. He throws well on the move and has enough athletic ability to extend plays outside the pocket. His arm strength fits offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich’s aggressive passing system. Moreover, Hammond also has decent experience in playing under center for the Lubbock program.

Last year, he passed for 680 yards when Behren Morton wasn’t available and helped his team reach the Big 12 title game. As for Sorsby, the program has moved on from the QB but has still shown immense support in his journey to the 2027 NFL draft. Head coach Joey McGuire publicly relayed that the program’s doors are always open for him. It’s a stance the program has long maintained.