What Is the Latest Injury Update on Texas Tech QB Behren Morton vs. West Virginia?
Senior quarterback Behren Morton has exemplified his toughness all season. The fifth-year signal-caller has fought through numerous injuries throughout his college career, and 2025 has been no different.
Morton exited multiple games early this year due to an injury, ranging from his head/neck to his knee and leg. He missed two games in the middle of the season but returned against Kansas State, a 43-20 win in front of the home crowd.
With an undefeated 9-0 record as a starter, Morton has led the Red Raiders within one game of the Big 12 Championship Game. No. 5 Texas Tech — with a 10-1 record, 7-1 in conference play — relies on Morton's health; however, with backup quarterback Will Hammond out for the season, his injury status is critical.
Morton appeared to be labored in the team's 29-7 win over the then-No. 8 BYU Cougars, but a 48-9 blowout against the UCF Knights in Week 12 allowed him to rest in the second half. A Week 13 bye week gave Tech's QB1 even more time to recover, and now he is ready to go for Week 14's regular-season finale.
"Yeah, he feels great," said Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire on Monday, Nov. 24, at the team's weekly press conference. "You know, we kept him in a boot all last week. He actually went through everything. It was a shorter practice yesterday, [Sunday, Nov. 23], but he went through everything — he just was in the boot."
Due to his lower-body injury, Morton has been in a boot recently, though he has been reluctant at times to wear it, according to McGuire.
"He doesn't want to be in that boot," McGuire said. "He doesn't think he needs it right now, but I know he felt better than he had felt all year long, really, whenever we played UCF, and so we'll keep him in it."
The Red Raiders face off with the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday, Nov. 29, with both teams coming off a bye week fully prepared to close out their regular seasons. West Virginia is 4-7 (2-6) but has played its best football over the last month.
The Mountaineers are 2-2 in their last four games, losing both games by no more than one possession. The Red Raiders have shown the ability to get ahead early, which could be important if they want to give Morton as much rest as possible in Week 14.
However, a Black Friday matchup between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats could heavily impact how Texas Tech approaches its contest the next day. If Arizona State loses, Texas Tech locks in its first-ever appearance in the Big 12 title game.
However, a Sun Devils victory puts Texas Tech in a tricky situation. A win over West Virginia guarantees a Texas Tech title game berth, but a Texas Tech loss and an Arizona State win will eliminate the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech's path to a conference championship game appearance simply requires a win, as the Red Raiders control their own destiny. However, if Morton's health is a concern — with ideally multiple games left in the team's season — as much opportunity for recovery as possible could be critical for a postseason run.
More From Texas Tech On SI
Stay up to date on Texas Tech Athletics by bookmarking Texas Tech On SI.
-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