I totally forgot that yesterday was media day and there’s a lot of information, but maybe not a lot of new information. We’ll start with the press conferences. This is the coaches:

And players:

I have listened to everything, but not had time to do a non-transcript. Regardless, let’s get to some links.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams with 3 things from today’s presser, including some position battles:

“We play so many people on defense, we play so many people up front, I think there’s some really good battles,” McGuire said. “I’m really anxious to see Charles Anderson. He had a good spring and he’s had a good summer, so he and Ansel are battling at that field end. I think Jamond Mathis could play that field end, too, but I think there’s going to be a good battle between him and Guyton behind Trey White.”

/snip/

McGuire said competition for playing time is similar among the backup receivers. Sophomores Bryson Jones and Leyton Stone are fighting for time behind Pitt senior transfer Kenny Johnson at an outside spot. Alabama State transfer Jalen Jones and freshman Chase Campbell from Frenship are competing for time behind slot receiver Coy Eakin.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese reports on quarterback Will Hammond as he returns from season-ending injury:

“The mentality’s been the same the whole time,” Hammond said. “Never take a back seat. Always want to be that guy, and so I’m just glad to be in this position and have the team around me that I have, because that allows you to have the belief that you do something special.”

While the Sorsby saga unfolded in the spotlight, Hammond quietly worked his way back. Head coach Joey McGuire’s initial timeline put Hammond available around Week 3 of the 2026 season. Now he’ll be the one taking all the first-team reps throughout camp.

“We were always kind of ahead of schedule in terms of what we’d imagined when surgery happened,” Hammond said. “Whenever all the news was coming out, we didn’t have to really speed anything up. It was just make sure we’re continuing to stay consistent with the rehab process, and that’s paid off.”

Red Raider Sports’ L. Jordan on his belief he’d be QB1 (I’ve always thought that phrase to be weird and pretentious) and still using his legs as part of the quarterback game:

“We’ll still be able to use my legs. I’ll still be able to run the ball when needed, but I don’t think that’s gonna be as much of a focus. When you wanna go out there and play 16 games, you don’t wanna be running your quarterback around too much.

So there’ll be an aspect of it that we’ll use, but I think the priority will just be to get out there and hand it off to those running backs. They’ll carry the majority of the rushing yards. And just being able to get outside the pocket and utilize my legs in that way, just to scramble and throw the ball. That’ll be more important for me than just designed quarterback runs.”

Red Raider Sports’ Lane Selph on Shiel Wood returning for year 2 for Texas Tech:

For the first time in several years, Wood enters a season without having to install an entirely new defensive system at a new school. That familiarity, he said, has made a significant difference throughout the offseason.

“It was fantastic,” Wood said of returning for a second year. “The last time I was at a place for consecutive seasons was when I was at the United States Military Academy.”

Rather than teaching an entirely new defense, Wood said both the coaching staff and players are able to build upon last year’s foundation. “The fact that it’s not new for everybody, especially with our staff and players, has been huge,” Wood said. “We have the vast majority of our coaching staff back on defense.”

On3’s Brian Jones on the non-conference match-up that has fallen through with USC.

Texas Tech was picked 12th in the USA Today preseason poll. BYU was picked 15th, Utah 21st, and Houston 245th. USA Today Coaches Poll full poll is at the link.