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Looking at the option that Texas Tech has at quarterback in the wake of the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal.

Brendan Sorsby has left Texas Tech with quite the situation on its hands as he deals with one of his own.

As Sorsby seeks a way to continue his college football career after he checks himself into rehab for a gambling addiction, the Red Raiders must figure out their quarterback plan for the 2026 season.

Sorsby, whom Texas Tech added from the transfer portal this offseason, has yet to take a snap for the Red Raiders. And depending on how things shake out, he may never do so.

College football analyst Josh Pate views this as a potentially problematic situation for the Red Raiders. The concern isn’t entirely about Will Hammond’s ability.

It is partially because Texas Tech has no depth behind him. Zero.

Josh Pate Identifies Major Issue For Texas Tech Ahead Of The 2026 Season

“There is no backup option here. There’s a literal backup. His name is Will Hammond, who has started before,” Pate said. “They had to use him last year, he was pressed into duty last year. He’s six-three, 205, is a redshirt sophomore. He was a top 200 prospect a couple of cycles ago in recruiting…. he’s not a bad player.”

Pate is not particularly concerned about Texas Tech winning its conference. But he does see a challenge in the team getting to the national championship stage with a quarterback who has a limited ceiling.

“It’s just that I think most people feel that Texas Tech’s top-end potential with Will Hammond is beneath that of winning a national championship,” Pate continued. “Now, they may very well still be the best team in the Big 12. If I had to pick the Big 12 today, I would still probably pick Texas Tech to win it, even if Will Hammond has to be my wire-to-wire quarterback.”

Brendan Sorsby Hires High-Power Attorney In Last-Ditch Effort To Extend His College Football Career

Is this the end of the line for Brendan Sorsby? There’s a very real chance, but the final outcome remains to be seen.

As he faces a possible suspension or permanent ban, Sorsby has retained high-profile attorney Jeffrey Kessler to seek reinstatement of his eligibility. Kessler has built a strong track record handling these types of cases, serving as the lead attorney in the House vs. NCAA case.

It was approved in June of 2025.

Kessler has also represented the NFLPA on the behalf of notable players like Adrian Peterson, Tom Brady, and Ray Rice, just to name a few.

If all else fails and Sorsby is ultimately unable to play in the upcoming season, one option still on the table for him is to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft. That situation would be a Hail Mary for Sorsby’s future of ever playing football again, though. No player has been selected in the event since 2019.

In that scenario, Texas Tech would turn to Hammond as the starter after he finished the 2025 season with a 63.3% completion rate, throwing for 680 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions over eight games. He also had 299 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.

The Red Raiders will only hope Hammond far exceeds the expectations if that is the case.