According to On3, signal-caller Thomas Castellanos has pledged his commitment to Texas Tech.
The former Florida State player intends to align with the Red Raiders following his single-season stint in Tallahassee. Texas Tech has faced uncertainty at the quarterback position since their previous starter, Brendan Sorsby, departed the program in the wake of an inquiry into gambling.
Sorsby was hit with an initial two-game ban, though rival Big 12 programs allegedly warned they would boycott matchups against Texas Tech should he stay on as the starting quarterback. Following the intervention of the Texas attorney general, the conference attempted to pursue litigation against both the state official and the university, sparking a highly chaotic offseason.
Deciding to move on from the team, Sorsby shifted his focus toward the 2026 NFL supplemental draft, and subsequently the 2027 NFL Draft after the league revealed a supplemental draft would not take place. In Sorsby’s absence, the Red Raiders looked poised to hand the starting reins to Will Hammond, whom head coach Joey McGuire declared the winner of the starting role during preseason practices.
There are lingering concerns regarding Castellanos’ collegiate eligibility, given that he participated in mandatory NFL minicamps with the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans after failing to get selected in the draft. Following the Big 12’s Wednesday declaration that member universities cannot sign players with prior experience on professional rosters, the validity of this acquisition remains to be seen.
Prior to his 2025 campaign at Florida State, Castellanos also played for UCF and Boston College. Throughout 12 appearances, he accumulated 2,760 passing yards, throwing 15 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. As a versatile dual-threat option, he also rushed for 557 yards and crossed the goal line nine times.
Should Castellanos’ transfer go through, it may create a competitive quarterback battle for Hammond, who is slated to start the season opener for the 12th-ranked Red Raiders on September 5 versus Abilene Christian. Hammond is currently working his way back from an ACL tear suffered the previous October.
Serving as a reserve, Hammond has spent the past two seasons with Texas Tech. His game experience remains limited across 12 career appearances, in which he has registered only 166 pass attempts. Over the course of eight games last year, he recorded seven touchdown passes alongside three interceptions.
