One of the longest-standing verbal commitments Texas Tech has had in this 2024 recruiting class finally got a chance to make it official. On Wednesday, four-star quarterback Will Hammond signed his letter of intent to play for Texas Tech. With Hammond’s commitment, Red Raider head coach Joey McGuire continues building a top-25 recruiting class for 2024.
What Does He Bring To the Quarterback Room?
Hammond is ranked the 16th-best quarterback in the 247 composite rankings. He had other offers from Auburn, Houston, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley was heavily involved in Hammond’s recruiting. Hammond does not have the prototypical quarterback build, as he is only listed at 6’1”. But all he has done throughout his high school career is put up numbers. He was an Elite 11 finalist this past summer. This fall, Hammond was responsible for 5,004 yards of offense (3,910 passing) and 48 total touchdowns (35 passing). He was also a finalist for the Mr. Texas Football Award selected by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. The Hutto, Texas product has shown he can be accurate with both timing throws and off-script throws in addition to making plays with his legs when he has to.
Can Will Hammond Be The Succession Plan To Morton?
In a perfect world, current starting quarterback Behren Morton would have a breakout year for Texas Tech in 2024 while Hammond got a chance to adjust to the college game. Even if Morton didn’t rocket to a future first-round NFL pick, just staying healthy for at least 10 games would keep the pressure down on Hammond. Hammond is not projected to see any major playing time this first season on campus based on his recruitment. He also has been verbally committed to the Red Raiders since December of 2022.
But what happens if Morton returns for the 2025 season? Is Hammond prepared, much like Morton had to do, to wait two full seasons before getting a chance to prove himself? Morton was ranked the 11th-best quarterback in the country from the 2021 class. Only two of the 10 quarterbacks ranked higher than Morton have transferred. Only time will tell if McGuire and his staff can keep Hammond bought into the long-term plan.
