What Will Texas Tech Do at QB in 2026?

Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal was the first to put this idea out there, yet he certainly won’t be the last. Suddenly, Texas Tech has a quarterback problem, though it likely won’t materialize until next season.

Once Behren Morton wraps up his final season in Lubbock this year, the plan was pretty simple: hand things off to Will Hammond and let the young guy grow into the starter with an elite roster around him. That plan just got shredded thanks to an ACL tear that’s going to keep Hammond out for a decent bit of the 2026 season.

Now Joey McGuire and his staff are staring at a long offseason with one big question front and center: who’s taking snaps next fall?

Hammond went down in the win over Oklahoma State, and while McGuire says they’re hopeful he’ll be ready sometime next year, the odds of him being full-go for spring or even fall camp feel slim. That’s a brutal blow for Hammond, Texas Tech, and for fans daydreaming about what the future holds. Still, that doesn’t slam the door shut on what’s ahead.

Mitch Griffis got some reps after Hammond went down and looked relatively solid. The Wake Forest transfer went 9-for-13 with a touchdown and gave Tech more than enough to hang on in a blowout win. Will he be the guy next year for Texas Tech? It’s hard to say, but he’s certainly a reliable option.

That means the Red Raiders are either rolling the dice on Griffis or diving into the portal to find a guy who can compete for the job while Hammond heals up. Either way, it’s a reminder of just how fast things can change in modern college sports.

In all honesty, I think it’s safe to say you’ll see a little bit of both. Griffis is now the next man up in 2025 behind Behren Morton, and if things go well for the Red Raiders, they won’t need to see him under center again.

Still, Texas Tech fans are in store for an incredible 2025 season. Let’s not pretend that it’s over by any stretch of the imagination, but it goes without saying that the upcoming offseason just got a lot more interesting in Lubbock.

The plan for 2026 was in place. Now? We’ll just have to wait and see.