Last year, while visiting Texas Tech, a staff member turned to me and pointed to a pickup truck pulling out of the parking lot.
"That's Will Hammond," he said. "He's the future."
Hammond arrived on campus as a tentpole blue-chip recruit in Joey McGuire's rebuild of the program, long before the major investment came. A record-breaking passer at Hutto High School outside of Austin, he led the state of Texas in passing as a senior. A wave of offers came late, but Hammond never wavered.
The sophomore started a few games for the Red Raiders last season as Behren Morton's backup, but his season was ended by a torn ACL against Oklahoma State. The staff wasn't planning to invest in a starting quarterback over the offseason, but Hammond's injury pushed the staff to swing for transfer Brendan Sorsby.
But amidst the chaos of Sorsby's gambling saga, Hammond quietly remained ahead of schedule. McGuire initially told reporters that Hammond would be ready for Week 3 against Houston. Instead, he managed to fight back in time for Week 1.
On Friday, he gets his long-awaited close-up as the No. 13 Red Raiders host No. 22 Houston in perhaps the biggest game of their season.
Safe start
In two starts, Hammond has been efficient. The record-breaking high school quarterback completed 76.7% of his passes for 487 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in wins over Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
There have been very few miscues. The only interception came on a toe-tapping sideline play by an Abilene Christian defensive back, who just made a nice dive. But while Hammond has avoided mistakes, he hasn't necessarily challenged the defense either.
Hammond's average depth of target of 7.1 yards ranks 39th out of 44 quarterbacks with his 68 pass attempts. Nearly two-thirds of his attempts have been within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
"I think he's got to trust," McGuire said postgame. "You got to turn the ball loose. It's not always going to be perfect pictures. We had some shots downfield that we didn't get thrown that were tight coverage, but they weren't necessarily covered. We want to give our guys, our playmakers, some chances to make plays."
McGuire isn't wrong. Coy Eakin ranked among the top receivers last season. Pittsburgh transfer Kenny Johnson was an immediate hit. Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. was a preseason All-American, and freshman Matt Ludwig has been a pleasant surprise. Auburn's Malcolm Simmons and former five-star Micah Hudson have both also had early moments.
Hammond finally took one of those shots with the game on the line. Trailing 24-21 against the Beavers, the sophomore dropped back and delivered a 32-yard bomb to Eakin for the game-winning touchdown.
Texas Tech's passing offense was seen as a luxury entering the season. Now, it might become a necessity.
Roster still growing
Heading into the season, it seemed Hammond would be able to come along slowly. The Red Raiders once again stocked up on transfer portal talent on the defensive line, and three returning starters on the offensive line seemed to set the Red Raiders up to run the ball at a high level.
Instead, the first couple of weeks have been lackluster. The Red Raiders rank No. 76 in total defense after allowing 417 passing yards to Oregon State's Braden Atkinson. Despite returning All-American cornerback Brice Pollock, the Red Raiders gave up 240 yards and two touchdowns to freshman Jesse Legree. The defensive line generated only one sack against Oregon State despite the Beavers throwing on two-thirds of their plays.
The rushing offense has been similarly inconsistent, despite returning the top running back room in the Big 12. Texas Tech ranks No. 75 nationally in rushing offense, averaging a lackluster 3.9 yards per carry. Last season, Texas Tech averaged 58.0 points per game in nonconference play. This year, they're down to 34.0.
Backup quarterback Tommy Castellanos has been used in some interesting roles as a change-of-pace, including a fourth-quarter touchdown throw against Oregon State. But McGuire has been clear: Hammond is the starting quarterback.
There won't be much of a grace period for Hammond with Houston coming to town on Friday. The Red Raiders need Hammond to deliver on his prodigious talent from Day 1.
