Pre-Spring Position Previews: Quarterback

I personally needed some clarity on each positions, so I wanted to look at pre-spring position reviews (or post-portal but went with pre-spring). Let’s go!

Graduation

QB Behren Morton

Transfers Out

QB Mitch Griffis – East Carolina

Returning

QB Will Hammond (6-2/210) RSO
QB Lloyd Jones III (6-4/215) RFR
QB Holden Phillips (6-1/210) RFR

Transfers In

QB Brendan Sorsby (6-3/235) SR – Cincinnati
QB Kirk Francis (6-1/200) JR – Tulsa

Incoming Freshmen

QB Stephen Cannon (6-2/200) – 86.80

What I think:

This is the one position where I don’t know what to say. It’s pretty clear the direction, but I do have thoughts!
Sorsby is obviously the guy and he was essentially the offense for Cincinnati and he’ll have a lot more help here. He averaged throwing 233 yards a game, completing 62% of his passes, 27 touchdowns and 5 picks. The lack of interceptions combined with a high number of touchdowns is significant. He also averaged 8.3 yards an attempt, so he’s pushing the ball down the field. The other aspect to his game is that he averages 48 yards a game with about 8 carries a game to go along with 9 touchdowns. That running aspect is going to make it tough to defend Texas Tech.
I get wanting to sign a guy who is purely going to be a back-up, but Francis is rough around the edges. I know that 2025 may not have been his best effort, but completing 60% of his passes, 5.6 yards an attempt, 3 touchdowns and 4 picks. Meh.
At some point you maybe want Jones to see what he can do rather than Francis. That’s how I feel. Obviously the staff feels differently. I thought that Jones in mop-up duty was impressive and I know that the sample-size was small, but he’s got something and if I had to guess, he’s closer to Sorsby than Francis is. If Sorsby does get hurt, then I’d roll with Jones who will be in year 3 of being at Texas Tech.
I think that I am guessing that Hammond will be the guy next year, but McGuire also said that there’s a chance that Hammond could be ready by game 3. That math checks out in terms of timing and McGuire said that Hammond is competing to win the job from Sorsby (obviously he’s limited right now, but that’s the attitude he has in terms of 2026). I’d love for the plan to be to heal up and be ready for 2027, although I suppose that there’s a chance that Hammond is a “break glass in case of emergency” option if Sorsby does go down..
Cannon seems like he is a Sorsby, Hammond and Jones clone. He’s an athletic quarterback that can run and has a good arm. That appears to be the way the world and Texas Tech quarterbacks are moving.