Will Hammond's first season as Texas Tech's starting quarterback hasn't gone exactly as Red Raider fans hoped. But before Raider Nation starts searching for his replacement, it might be worth remembering that even some of the program's greatest quarterbacks had growing pains.
Texas Tech is getting a much-needed breather this weekend, and the open date couldn't have come at a better time.
For the Red Raiders, it's an opportunity to get healthy, regroup and figure out what needs fixing before the final seven games of the regular season. And if there's one player who could benefit from a little extra time to reset, it's quarterback Will Hammond.
Five games into his first season as Tech's full-time starter, Hammond has become one of the biggest talking points in Raiderland. Some fans are frustrated with his production. Others are questioning whether he's the long-term answer under center.
A few have even started looking ahead to the offseason, wondering whether Texas Tech should explore other options at quarterback. There's also been chatter about turning to veteran backup Tommy Castellanos if his eligibility situation gets resolved in court.
But here's a question worth asking: Are Red Raider fans giving up on Hammond way too soon?
A look back at Texas Tech history suggests they might be.
Hammond's Numbers Aren't Spectacular, but There's More to the Story
Through five games, Hammond has thrown for 1,102 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He's averaging 220.4 passing yards per game, which isn't exactly the kind of production Texas Tech fans have grown accustomed to seeing.
This is a program that has featured some of the most prolific passing attacks in college football history. When you've watched quarterbacks routinely throw for 350 or 400 yards, a 220-yard afternoon can feel pretty ordinary.
And there's no getting around Hammond's biggest issue. Five interceptions against five touchdown passes simply isn't good enough for a team chasing a Big 12 championship.
He has to make better decisions, protect the football and find ways to turn promising drives into points.
But context matters.
Hammond is only five games into his career as a full-time starting quarterback. He also spent much of the offseason recovering from a torn knee ligament, missing valuable opportunities to develop chemistry with his receivers and become more comfortable running the offense.
That's a pretty significant obstacle for a young quarterback trying to establish himself at the Power Four level.
Anyone expecting Hammond to immediately resemble Patrick Mahomes was setting the bar impossibly high.
Even talented quarterbacks need time to figure things out.
And Texas Tech fans don't have to look very far into the program's history to find a perfect example.
Remember, Graham Harrell Had His Struggles, Too
Graham Harrell is one of the greatest players ever to wear a Texas Tech uniform.
His name remains synonymous with the Red Raiders' high-flying Air Raid offense, and his college career helped establish Tech as one of the nation's premier passing programs.
But Harrell didn't become a legend overnight.
In 2006, his first season as Texas Tech's starting quarterback, Harrell threw for an impressive 350.4 yards per game while finishing with 35 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Those numbers certainly look better than Hammond's current production.
However, comparing the two quarterbacks strictly by passing yards ignores some important differences.
Harrell was operating in Mike Leach's revolutionary Air Raid system at a time when defenses were still struggling to figure out how to slow it down.
He also had an outstanding supporting cast.
Receivers Joel Filani, Robert Johnson, Danny Amendola and Jarrett Hicks gave Harrell a collection of reliable playmakers. Up front, future NFL offensive linemen Louis Vasquez and Manny Ramirez helped provide the protection necessary to keep the passing attack humming.
Hammond doesn't have the luxury of playing in that same offensive environment.
And even with all those advantages, Harrell experienced some downright ugly afternoons.
In a 38-21 home loss to Missouri in 2006, Harrell threw interceptions that were returned for touchdowns on consecutive first-half possessions as the Red Raiders fell behind 24-0.
The performance drew boos from the home crowd, and Harrell's frustration boiled over during an exchange with fans near the Texas Tech bench.
Things didn't get much better the following week.
Against a Colorado team that entered the game winless at 0-6, Harrell threw three interceptions and managed just 236 passing yards in a miserable 30-6 defeat.
Imagine the reaction if Hammond delivered those kinds of performances in consecutive games this season.
Social media would be calling for a quarterback change before the team made it back to Lubbock.
But Harrell wasn't finished.
Over the final six games of that 2006 season, he helped Texas Tech go 4-2 and avoided another multiple-interception performance.
The rest, of course, is Red Raider history.
The Numbers Show Hammond Isn't as Far Behind Harrell as Fans Might Think
Here's where the comparison gets interesting.
Despite the criticism surrounding Hammond's first five starts, several of his passing statistics compare surprisingly well with Harrell's numbers from 2006.
Hammond is completing a higher percentage of his throws than Harrell did during his first season as the starter. He's also producing slightly more yardage per attempt and per completion.
That doesn't mean Hammond is having a better season than Harrell did in 2006. It certainly doesn't mean he's on track to become the next Texas Tech legend.
But it does suggest that Hammond's struggles might be getting exaggerated.
His passing efficiency rating of 138.1 isn't dramatically behind Harrell's 145.5, either. If Hammond can cut down on the turnovers over the remaining seven games, that gap could shrink considerably.
Of course, these statistics don't completely eliminate differences in offensive schemes, opponents or supporting talent. But they provide some useful perspective that gets lost when fans focus entirely on passing yards and touchdown totals.
The bottom line is that Hammond has shown enough ability to suggest there's a capable Big 12 quarterback waiting to emerge.
The challenge is turning those flashes into consistent production.
Texas Tech's Offensive Coaching Also Deserves Some Scrutiny
There's another part of this discussion that shouldn't be overlooked.
Hammond isn't calling the plays.
Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich has faced plenty of criticism from Texas Tech fans this season, with some questioning whether his approach is getting the most out of the Red Raiders' offensive personnel.
That's a fair topic for debate.
But fans can't have it both ways.
If Leftwich's offense is part of the problem, then Hammond shouldn't shoulder all the blame for Tech's inconsistent passing attack.
Consider the coaching advantage Harrell enjoyed in 2006.
He played for Leach, one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football history. Tech's offensive staff also featured Sonny Dykes and Dana Holgorsen, both of whom would eventually become successful head coaches in the Big 12.
That's an extraordinary collection of offensive coaching talent.
Harrell benefited from a system built to produce huge passing numbers, experienced playmakers and coaches who understood exactly how to attack opposing defenses.
Hammond is trying to establish himself in a different offense, under different circumstances, while dealing with the lingering effects of an offseason interrupted by injury.
None of that excuses poor throws or costly turnovers.
But it does make the situation more complicated than simply deciding Hammond isn't good enough.
Championship Expectations Have Changed the Conversation in Lubbock
Perhaps the biggest difference between 2006 and 2026 has nothing to do with the quarterbacks themselves.
It's the expectations.
Texas Tech fans aren't content with simply reaching a bowl game or putting up entertaining offensive numbers anymore.
The Red Raiders are chasing championships, and the expectation in Lubbock is that this team should compete for the Big 12 title.
That changes how fans evaluate every performance.
A quarterback learning on the job might have been easier to accept two decades ago. Today, with championship aspirations hanging over the program, patience is in much shorter supply.
And that's understandable.
Fans want to win now, especially when they believe the roster is capable of something special.
But there's a difference between demanding better quarterback play and deciding a young player has already reached his ceiling.
Hammond absolutely needs to improve. Nobody should pretend otherwise.
Five interceptions in five games is too many. The passing offense needs more explosive plays, and the Red Raiders need their quarterback to deliver when the pressure is highest.
Still, those are things a young starter can improve with experience.
Writing him off before he's even completed half a season would be premature.
The Open Date Could Be Exactly What Hammond Needs
That's what makes this weekend's break so important.
Hammond now has an opportunity to study his mistakes, work with the coaching staff and get more comfortable with the offense without immediately preparing for another Saturday showdown.
The extra time could also help him continue recovering physically from the knee injury that disrupted his offseason.
Most importantly, it gives him a chance to reset mentally.
Playing quarterback at Texas Tech comes with enormous expectations. Every interception gets dissected, every missed receiver becomes a talking point, and every disappointing performance sparks another debate about the future of the position.
That's a lot for a first-time starter to navigate.
But Hammond doesn't have to become Graham Harrell, Patrick Mahomes or any other former Red Raider great.
He simply has to become a better version of Will Hammond.
And there's still plenty of time for that to happen.
Red Raider Fans Need to Give Hammond a Chance to Grow
Nobody knows whether Hammond will eventually develop into an all-conference quarterback, a dependable multi-year starter or something less.
Five games simply isn't enough evidence to make that determination.
What Texas Tech fans do know is that one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history endured his share of ugly performances before becoming a star.
Harrell was given the opportunity to learn from those mistakes, develop his game and grow into the position.
Hammond deserves a reasonable opportunity to do the same.
That doesn't mean the coaching staff should ignore his mistakes or refuse to consider other options if his struggles continue. Winning football games still has to be the priority.
But the rush to label Hammond a disappointment seems awfully premature, especially considering the offseason injury, his limited starting experience and some of the encouraging numbers he's already produced.
The Red Raiders have seven regular-season games remaining, and Hammond still has plenty of opportunities to change the conversation.
Maybe he'll emerge from the open date looking sharper, more confident and better prepared to lead this offense.
Maybe he'll continue to experience the growing pains that come with being a young quarterback.
Either way, Raider Nation would be wise to remember what happened with Harrell before deciding Hammond's future is already written.
Texas Tech doesn't need Will Hammond to become a legend overnight. It needs him to keep getting better.
