Will Hammond will no longer play for Texas Tech due to a devastating ACL injury that will keep him sidelined and leave the team with limited options at quarterback. However, hope is not lost for the Red Raiders, who still have a third option on the depth chart in Mitch Griffis.
Griffis was forced into action during Saturday’s game to help Texas Tech and will now be the choice for upcoming games. It was reported by SportsDayDFW on X that Griffis was far removed from football until recently: “third-string quarterback Griffis was pouring concrete a year ago and assumed his career was over. Then, he landed in Lubbock.”
Regarding Hammond’s injury, Pete Thamel reported: “Texas Tech QB Will Hammond will miss the rest of the season, as he tore his ACL in the win over Oklahoma State. He’d been Texas Tech’s back-up this year, shining in two starts in relief of Behren Morton.”
What awaits Griffis in the coming weeks?
Following the Red Raiders’ victory against Oklahoma State, Griffis’s schedule as the ‘starting quarterback’ could include four games leading up to November 29th: Kansas State, BYU, UCF, and West Virginia. The first and last of these matchups will be on the road.
Texas Tech remains strong with a 7-1 record, which is highly commendable. However, the question now is what Griffis, who hasn’t played since 2023, will be capable of achieving. In that previous season, he threw for a total of 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, adding two rushing touchdowns.
When could Morton return at quarterback?
According to a recent report, Behren Morton is estimated to potentially return next week against Kansas State. Don Williams wrote on X: “Joey McGuire said Saturday that Behren Morton threw the ball well last week in practice and could have played had it been a more competitive game. He’s expected to start this week.“
