Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton remains day-to-day as the Red Raiders begin preparations for this week’s matchup against Oklahoma State. Morton was limited in practice last week and did not play in Saturday’s loss to Arizona State, though he was available in an emergency role. The staff will re-evaluate him in the coming days before making a final decision on who starts under center against the Cowboys.
Joey McGuire said the staff will likely wait until late in the week before naming a starter. Morton has been dealing with lingering soreness after taking several hits earlier in the season and has not participated fully in a live session since the injury. While he continues to rehab, Texas Tech will keep all options on the table. True freshman Will Hammond started in his place on Saturday and led the offense in a 26-22 loss to the Sun Devils.
Morton’s status has been a weekly storyline since exiting the Utah game several weeks ago. The initial diagnosis ruled out anything structural, but soreness in his leg has continued to limit mobility and effectiveness. Tech held him out of full-speed drills all last week, instead managing his reps and monitoring for any setbacks. Whether he can ramp up in time to lead the offense this weekend remains to be seen.
Hammond, a former four-star recruit from Hutto, Texas, has shown promise in limited action. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 179 yards and added 41 yards on the ground against Arizona State. While the playbook was scaled down slightly to protect the freshman in his first start, the offense has so much more available if Hammond is ready for the task. If Morton is unable to go again, Hammond is expected to be the next man up.
Texas Tech enters the Oklahoma State game ranked No. 14 nationally and remains firmly in the Big 12 title hunt. That makes every quarterback decision even more important as the Red Raiders look to keep momentum heading into November. Morton remains the most experienced and dynamic option at the position, but the staff won’t rush him back if he’s not fully ready.
A decision is expected later in the week. Until then, all eyes in Lubbock remain on No. 2.
