On Friday, July 24th, Texas Tech socials confirmed what most in the college football and fantasy football world knew: Will Hammond is QB1 for the coaches’ poll preseason #12-ranked Red Raiders. More important than announcing the assumed was the between-the-lines acknowledgment that Hammond was healthy enough to start the season on September 5th.
The 20-year-old redshirt sophomore tore his right ACL against Oklahoma State and proceeded to miss the last six games plus the postseason. Unsure of the recovery timeline, head coach Joey McGuire and general manager James Blanchard set their sights on Cincinnati transfer portal QB Brendan Sorsby. The now-infamous Sorsby separated from Texas Tech and college football due to the well-covered gambling scandal.
Now healthy and the undisputed starter, I believe the ginger gunslinger is a breakout candidate for the 2026 college football season.
High School: Hutto High School, Hutto, Texas – Class 6A
- 247 four-star
- Elite 11 finalist
- Significant Offers: Texas A&M, Oregon, Penn State, Auburn, Tennessee, Oklahoma State
- Stats: three-year starter
- Passing – 8,377 yards and 84 touchdowns
- Rushing – 2,241 yards and 36 touchdowns
- Best game: 807 total yards and 10 touchdowns
College: Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas (Big 12)
Eight games played, six appearances, and two starts
Total Passing Stats:
- Completions / Attempts: 69 / 109
- Completion Percentage: 63.3%
- Passing Yards: 680
- Passing Touchdowns: 7
- Interceptions: 3
- Passing Efficiency: 131.4
Total Rushing Stats:
- Rushing Carries: 57
- Rushing Yards: 299
- Yards Per Carry: 5.2
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5
- Longest Run: 42 yards
Scouting Report
Height: 6020 Weight: 210 40: 4.56 [verified junior year of high school]
Body Type & Athletic Ability:
Solid height & weight; lean, muscular frame with little fat; added 5 pounds of muscle in the offseason. Training was core- & upper-body-focused as he was rehabbing the ACL tear.
Displays very good athletic ability, highlighted by nimble feet, linear speed & good body control
Strengths:
- Wins with poise and selective aggression; a gifted athlete who’s a passer first.
- Very good rusher on designed QB runs and scrambles well.
- Pre-snap, does a good job identifying and communicating potential pressure.
- Composed decision-maker with very few turnover-worthy plays.
- Good arm with balanced, compact, repeatable passer mechanics; can drive the ball to all quadrants.
- Shows good ball placement, specifically in the short-to-intermediate.
- Shows a strong base with quick feet in the drop back.
- As a runner, shows unusual contact balance and power for a QB.
- Is a true dual threat whose rushing ability must be accounted for by the defense.
Weaknesses:
- Needs to process post-snap quicker and throw with more anticipation.
- Is a stiff athlete, making his ability to throw on the run average.
- Arm angles are limited; not many “clubs in the bag”.
Why breakout?
Hammond’s a talented QB & athlete who is in a very good offensive environment.
His skill set fits well with the veer and shoot, run by his offensive coordinator, Mack Leftwich. The veer and shoot is a hybrid of the Art Briles system and Eric Morris’s air-raid. The wide splits and tempo spread the defense, allowing space for Hammond to hit his WRs or create rush lanes for him to exploit. If you watch his tape, it’s evident time and time again with the abundance of chunk plays.
Hammond is also surrounded by good offensive talent that should only get better in the next two years. Former five-star WR Micah Hudson has turned things around and is on track for a breakout season himself, officially named the starting X by McGuire. Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. is one of the best in the country and is projected by some to be a day two NFL Draft pick. At running back, there is a solid stable of options, anchored by Cameron Dickey and complemented by J’Koby Williams and Quinten Joyner. 2026 offensive commits include a five-star OT plus four-star prospects at OT, RB, WR, and TE. 2027 also has multiple four-star offensive commits. The cupboard is and will remain full.
Hammond also has a special mentor, Patrick Mahomes. They are both Red Raiders and rehabbed ACL tears together, leaning on each other for support. They also share the same QB guru, Jeff Christensen.
ESPN has designated Texas Tech as having the “easiest overall Power Four schedule”.
Why target in Devy/C2C?
Hammond has yet to start a full season and is coming off injury. As a result, the discount for a P4 starter on a contender surrounded by talent doesn’t get much steeper.
At 20 & only a RS Sophomore, he will likely have two more years of strong college production ahead. With his talented skill set, he should have a shot at day two of the NFL Draft.
Devy/C2C is won by seeing the signals and being proactive, not reactive. The Will Hammond bandwagon is about to leave; jump on before it’s too late.
By David Whitman / Dynasty, Devy, C2C / X: @GridironNerd / Discord: @dff_david
