Texas Tech's Will Hammond shows off speed, impresses in Week 1
In this story:
On second down with six yards to go, Texas Tech redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond caught the snap and faked the handoff to running back Adam Hill. He dropped back, and as he faced interior pressure, tucked the ball to run.
He weaved between a few defenders in the middle of the field, but in just over five seconds, he hit a max speed of 20.2 miles per hour. No one was catching Hammond, who took the ball 64 yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 53-0 with about six and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
College Football’s Fastest Players of Week 1:
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 2, 2025
8️⃣ @TexasTechFB QB Will Hammond (@Will_Hammond13) hits 20.2 MPH
🎥 @ESPNPlus
🔗 https://t.co/UFKB2eWAzC | #ReelSpeed pic.twitter.com/koYy0G5ASS
However, Hammond's Week 1 performance was not just about his blazing track speed, as it was his only carry of the game. Rather, he completed seven of his nine pass attempts while taking no sacks and throwing one touchdown to Leyton Stone.
Regardless of his passing efficiency, which earned him a strong PFF passing grade of 75.4, the long run was the highlight of the day that even prompted the Texas Tech Football account on X to encourage EA Sports College Football to up his speed rating in their newest game.
Hey @EASPORTSCollege, you sure about @Will_Hammond13's speed rating? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/VQa1RNWOVh
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 3, 2025
Hammond's 64-yard scamper ranked eighth among all players in Week 1, according to Reel Analytics, putting to tape the dual-threat capabilities he displayed at Hutto High School. With the Hippos, he ran for 1,094 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns while finishing as a finalist for the Mr. Texas Football Award, presented by Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
Texas Tech's starting quarterback, Behren Morton, was pulled at halftime due to a hyperextension of his knee, which has left him day-to-day heading into Week 2. According to head coach Joey McGuire, however, the plan was always to bring Hammond in at halftime, regardless of Morton's injury.
"I think our plan worked out the way we wanted it," McGuire said. "We just didn't want him [Morton] to come out like that."
"We wanted to make sure that Will got plenty [of reps], and if Will's got to go [in Week 2] — you know, he's been in two a little over two college games. He's been really successful in those college games, so if he's got to start, then we feel great about that."
The plan, according to McGuire is for Morton to play in Week 2 despite his injury, and he has officially been listed as questionable for the game on Saturday, Sept. 6, against Kent State. However, if he is unable to go or does not last through the whole game, Hammond should be ready to play.
"For Behren this week, it'll just be kind of a tolerance thing, seeing where he's at," said offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich. "I've got all the confidence in the world in Will. I thought he went out and did a great job. He put the ball where he needed to be, and that's the quarterback's job. You're the point guard out there."
Leftwich continued to levy his praise for Hammond, expressing his confidence in his ability as a starting option: "To be honest with you, I think there's a lot of programs in the country right now that would love to have Will Hammond as their starting quarterback."
MORE: Texas Tech locked in a heavyweight battle with the Oklahoma Sooners for elite lineman
Enjoy more Texas Tech coverage on Texas Tech On SI -
More Texas Tech News
Texas Tech defense line tops bluebloods Michigan, Ohio State and LSU in early ranking
Texas Tech snubbed in preseason All-Big 12 offense honors
Baltimore Ravens snag former Texas Tech tight end from Kansas City Chiefs
Texas Tech's defensive line should have Big 12 offenses wary, could be historically great
Texas Tech elite EDGE David Bailey spurned the NFL for a run at something special
Elite Texas Tech recruit sends a message to the Big 12 "I'm coming to dominate the Big 12"
-43389ae7766a84cbb8a6c33939d17968.jpeg "Jordan Epp")
Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
Follow j_epp22