Utah vs Texas Tech was the most highly anticipated game of the young Big 12 season. Both teams ranked in the top 20, Fox's Big Noon Kickoff in town, and the eyes of the nation panning down onto the Beehive State for a marquee college football matchup.
Before this game, few even knew the name of the Red Raiders' backup quarterback (if you did, I officially dub you king of college football, and you can hold me to that), but Will Hammond, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a regular at BYU and Utah football camps growing up, had his day in the sun against the Utes on Saturday morning. Now, the world knows his name.
Hammond was a four-star recruit out of Texas, who declined offers from the likes of Oregon, Penn State, and Texas A&M, and ran with the hometown Red Raiders.
On Saturday morning, the first stringer Behren Morton struggled against a stout Ute defense. Two picks with no scores summed up his day, despite throwing for over 100 yards on 12/19 efficiency. As Morton hit the dirt on a scrambling rush, a Utah hit to his head would take him out of the contest, leaving the door open for his freshman understudy.
ANOTHER TD!! 🤩@TexasTechFB continues to add to their tally! pic.twitter.com/Bir4PUwfLh
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 20, 2025
Hammond was nothing short of revolutionary when he entered a game that had crawled to the third quarter without a single passing touchdown to that point. 13/16 and two touchdown tosses later, the Red Raiders' understudy stole the show by turning a 10-3 lead into a 34-10 romp in Salt Lake City.
It's hard to say BYU football dropped the ball on failing to dip into the Hammond recruiting pool party back in 2024, considering the enviable state of the Cougars' quarterback room with freshman Bear Bachmeier in the backfield and 5-star LDS talent Ryder Lyons two seasons away. Regardless of whether the Cougars had a shot at landing Hammond's talent, this is the young quarterback's day.
He led the Red Raiders to victory against Utah, and he may likewise meet BYU on the gridiron later this season. He'll be a name to watch moving forward.