Texas Tech redshirt sophomore quarterback Will Hammond, who tore the ACL in his right knee last year, is expected to be cleared for all football-related activities on Aug. 21, coach Joey McGuire told ESPN on Monday.
McGuire said Hammond will be able to participate in player-led 7-on-7 drills in June, and he could be game-ready as soon as the Week 2 trip to Oregon State on Sept. 12. At the latest, McGuire said, Hammond would be in game shape by the Sept. 19 Big 12 opener against Houston.
"August 21 is nine months, so he should be released August 21," McGuire said. "It could be a couple days before that. Even with all that, being game-ready, my mindset has always been we don't have to rush him back, so if we can have Will Hammond ready to go against Houston -- total 100%, he feels great -- that's kind of been the plan."
Hammond's recovery status is critical as expected starter Brendan Sorsby is embroiled in a sports betting lawsuit and on Monday filed for an injunction against the NCAA seeking eligibility for this fall. Hammond was injured last October against Oklahoma State when he was making his second straight start in place of injured starter Behren Morton.
He was again expected to have a backup role this fall, with Sorsby transferring in to help lead the program to a second straight College Football Playoff appearance.
In eight games last year, Hammond completed 69 of 109 passes for seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound dual-threat native of Austin, Texas, also had 43 carries for 299 yards and five touchdowns, the most rushing yards by a Red Raider quarterback in a season since Jett Duffey had 369 in 2018. McGuire said Hammond began throwing the football again before spring practices began, and the football staff has received a "great report" since then from the medical team.
"We never let those guys get ahead of schedule, but if you could say somebody is ahead of schedule, Will Hammond is ahead of schedule," McGuire said. "Will Hammond is a different human. When I recruited him out of high school, he was the most mature 18-year-old I'd ever been around in my life. ... He's really serious about his rehab and has done everything he's supposed to do. We've got to hold him back."
