Just over two weeks ago, we discussed why Texas Tech football fans should not write off starting QB Will Hammond as a long-term solution at the game's most important position. It's funny how fast reality comes at you, though.
Now, just 15 days later, the narrative has changed after Hammond's dreadful performance against one of the worst defenses in the nation. In Tech's 37-24 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, Hammond was such a liability that it should force the coaching staff to have serious discussions about whether a change needs to be made.
Facing a Cincy defense that was third-worst in the FBS against the pass entering the game, Hammond went just 24-of-37 for 227 yards with no touchdowns and an inexplicable interception. He completed only 64.8% of his passes and averaged a meager 6.1 yards per attempt. That came against a defense that gave up 464 passing yards to West Virginia's Michael Hawkins one game prior, and 334 yards to Miami (OH) QB David McComb earlier this year.
If Hammond is unable to pick apart a defense as bad as Cincinnati's, then he isn't going to be the quarterback who should be asked to turn around a stagnant Texas Tech offense. Sure, he has had his moments this season, such as the fantastic first half he played against Arizona State one week ago when he helped lead the offense to 43 points and over 400 yards of offense in the first half alone.
However, more often than not, Hammond's struggles in his first year as a starting QB at the collegiate level are causing this offense to bog down. Far too often, he is indecisive and skittish in the pocket. It seems as if he panics when his first or second read is unavailable, and that causes him to either tuck the ball and run or make an ill-advised throw, as he did on the jump-ball interception he threw in Coy Eakin's direction on Saturday.
For most of the season, Tech has been able to overcome Hammond's inconsistent play. In the first six games, he was excellent only twice, against Houston and against ASU. Still, the Red Raiders found a way to start 6-0 thanks to timely defensive plays and an offense that scraped together enough points to get by.
But the first time this year that the Red Raider defense needed the offense to pick up the slack, Hammond was at his worst. If there is any hope for this program to contend for the Big 12 crown, the QB play has to be better.
There is no longer any margin for error for Texas Tech. Another regular-season loss would likely eliminate Joey McGuire's team from the conference title race.
What's more, this year's team can't survive on its defense alone, as the 2025 Red Raiders did. Tech sits at just 86th nationally in total defense by giving up 372.9 yards per game.
Additionally, the defense is about to face offensively oriented teams like Arizona, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State in the upcoming weeks. Therefore, if Tech doesn't figure out how to get its offense going on a weekly basis, we are going to see more losses like the one we endured on Saturday in Cincinnati.
The good news is that the Red Raiders have a viable option to turn to if it is determined that Hammond is not the solution. Backup QB Tommy Castellanos is a fifth-year senior who has started 32 games at the FBS level. Though he isn't a perfect player by any means (he has a history of being turnover-prone), he should get strong consideration from McGuire and offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich because his propensity for making big plays out of nothing could be the spark this offense desperately needs.
With five games left in the regular season, there is still time for the Texas Tech offense to find its rhythm. However, waiting much longer to let Hammond sort things out could be a season-ending mistake.
Castellanos was brought into the program to serve as an emergency option, most likely in the case of an injury. However, if what we saw from Hammond on Saturday doesn't qualify as an emergency, then it is hard to imagine what does.
It is sad and frustrating to have to change stances on Hammond just two weeks after trying to convince fans to stay the course with him, and just one week after seeing him play his best game as a Red Raider. However, this season is all about winning the Big 12, and it is becoming clear that the QB position might prevent that from happening.
Tech has no more time to wait on Hammond to figure it out. All options must be on the table now that this team must run the table the rest of the regular season.
Of course, benching Hammond would have program-altering ramifications. If a change is made, Tech would likely lose Hammond to the transfer portal in the offseason, meaning that the program would have to go fishing for another starting QB for next season. However, the focus should be on doing whatever it takes to win this season. The future can be sorted out down the road.
If the quarterback play doesn't improve immediately, Tech will drop out of the Big 12 race and the College Football Playoff discussion. That's why the Red Raiders have a very tough decision to make this week.
Add us as a preferred source on Google