Yet another court ruling is shaping the Texas Tech quarterback room. Friday, a Kentucky court struck down the temporary injunction that had been granted to backup QB Tommy Castellanos and other athletes, allowing them to play a fifth year of NCAA sports.
That means that Castellanos is no longer able to play for the Red Raiders unless another court ruling goes his way. However, the Red Raiders do not have to worry about being stripped of wins in which Castellanos played, because at the time he appeared for Tech, he had been ruled eligible by the courts.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, a hearing is set for next week to determine Castellanos' status. However, that leaves the Red Raiders frighteningly thin behind starting quarterback Will Hammond.
Now, Tech is just one bad break away from having to rely on Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis or sophomore Lloyd Jones in a meaningful situation. This year, Francis has attempted just one pass while Jones has not seen the field.
Texas Tech backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos won't play tomorrow following today's court ruling in Kentucky, a school spokesperson told @On3.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) October 2, 2026
A hearing has been scheduled for next week. https://t.co/QfcGu3yVva https://t.co/Z8qeMHFfL5
This ruling also impacts the Red Raiders in the red zone. That's where Castellanos has been a valuable weapon since joining the team.
He's thrown for two touchdowns and rushed for two more. Three of those scores came in the red zone, an area of the field where he's been a solution to one of the Red Raiders' biggest problems.
Hopefully, this week's game at Colorado will be the only one that Castellanos will miss. That's because Tech needs a quality backup option at the QB spot.
Previous years have shown Red Raider fans that there are no guarantees when it comes to health at the game's most important position. In fact, the last time that the Red Raiders went an entire season without having to start their backup QB for at least one game was in 2016, when Patrick Mahomes made every start.
Tech made a significant investment in Castellanos as the backup QB and red-zone specialist. Now, it is possible that his season is over thanks to the latest court ruling. Hopefully, this is just a temporary setback that will keep him off the field for only a short time.
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