Is Texas Tech football in the market for a new starting QB in 2025?

Just when all seemed quiet for Texas Tech football, surprising new rumors have linked the Red Raiders to one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal. According to both Pete Thamel of ESPN and Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Joey McGuire and Co. are in the market for a starting quarterback and the target could be Georgia's Carson Beck.

Appearing on Thursday's edition of the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, Thamel said that Miami appears to be the frontrunner to land Beck but that Texas Tech is also showing interest. Meanwhile, Nakos posted on X that Ohio State, Tech, and Miami are three teams to watch as potential landing spots for the former Bulldog.

Would Carson Beck be a fit for the Red Raiders?

Beck's situation at Georgia was interesting in 2024. He started 13 games for head coach Kirby Smart leading Georgia to an 11-2 record which included an SEC Championship.

However, on the final play of the first half of that SEC title game against Texas, Beck took a nasty hit as he tried to throw a Hail Mary, and in the process, he tore the UCL in his elbow. As a result, late last month, he had surgery to repair the ligament.

In his place stepped highly-regarded sophomore Gunner Stockton who played well in the second half of the SEC Championship Game but who struggled against Notre Dame in a 23-10 loss in the Sugar Bowl, which was one of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal games.

Now, it appears that the Bulldogs intend to move forward with Stockton as their starter. Thus Beck is being forced to make new plans. Initially, it was believed that he was going to enter the NFL Draft. However, on Thursday, it was reported that he intends to put his name into the transfer portal and play his sixth and final year of college football.

Texas Tech fans may be wondering why the Red Raiders have an interest in Beck. After all, Behren Morton was more than solid as the starting QB in Lubbock this past season. He threw for 3,335 yards with 27 TDs and eight interceptions. Meanwhile, Beck had almost identical numbers passing for 3,485 yards and 28 TDs with 12 picks.

However, we must remember that in December Morton underwent major surgery on his throwing shoulder. While at the time of the operation, Texas Tech said that Morton would be back to 100% sometime in the summer, there is no guarantee that his shoulder will fully recover.

Therefore, the rumors that Tech has an interest in Beck (or another starting QB) might lead some to wonder if Morton's recovery is not going as well as initially planned.

Other Tech fans may want to see Will Hammond take over if Morton is unable to play next fall. However, given all of the investments Tech has made through the portal, 2025 is a make-or-break year for the program, and turning the keys over to a redshirt freshman with one career start in college likely doesn't appeal to McGuire and his coaching staff.

The Texas Tech and Carson Beck rumors came out of nowhere but given the two sources that shared them, they must be taken seriously. Thus, keep an eye on any reports about the Red Raiders pursuing starting QBs via the portal because where there's smoke, there's usually fire.