The Texas Tech Red Raiders entered the 2024 AutoZone Liberty Bowl knowing they wouldn’t have their starting signal-caller. Behren Morton, who has battled a slew of injuries over his career in Lubbock, wouldn’t be suiting up against the Arkansas Razorbacks because of an injury that has plagued him for ‘years’ now.
What exactly happened to Morton, and what is his return timeline?
What Happened to Behren Morton?
Back in Week 9, the exact moment of Morton’s injury wasn’t immediately clear. In fact, it took a closer look at the end of the first half that offered a possible answer.
With under a minute to play in the second quarter against TCU and facing 3rd & 9, Morton dropped back to pass. As he stepped up in the pocket, he was met by a trio of TCU defenders. The collision didn’t appear particularly forceful, but Morton landed awkwardly on his left shoulder.
The play went on without interruption, and TCU called a timeout shortly after. Strangely, the broadcast didn’t show a replay of the incident.
When the teams emerged for the second half, Morton was noticeably absent from the lineup. True freshman Will Hammond stepped in and wasted no time making an impact. On his first drive, Hammond completed all three of his pass attempts, capping it off with a 13-yard touchdown strike to Coy Eakin to push Tech’s lead to 10.
Hammond stayed under center for the next possession as it was later confirmed that Morton would miss the remainder of the game due to a left shoulder injury.
It wasn’t until weeks later that the injury was revealed to have been serious enough for Morton to have likely been shut down following the TCU game, had he not continued to play.
But following the regular season, Morton himself took to social media to explain a bit more about how his season ended.
Behren Morton Undergoes Successful Surgery
Morton, who played all the way through the Red Raiders’ Week 14 game against West Virginia, offered up a glimpse of how serious his arm injury was on December 14.
“I appreciate everyone who has reached out this week and all the thoughts and support,” Morton wrote via an image posted to X. “I elected to undergo this surgery now for the long-term success and to have my best season as a Red Raider this next year. I’ve already started rehabbing to get back to 100%, which has always been the goal.”
Morton also added that he looked forward to ‘supporting my guys (to) achieve our goal of nine wins in the Liberty Bowl later this month,’ all but ending any notion that he would play in the team’s bowl game.
He signed off with a ‘WreckEm’ hashtag and moved on with saying his sights were set on winning the Big 12 Championship with the program in 2025.
Who Is Will Hammond?
A consensus four-star recruit and top-250 player, Will Hammond comes from Hutto High School in Hutto, Texas. Part of the Class of 2024, Hammond made waves this preseason with whispers that he might push for playing time as a freshman.
After his first extended action of the season, it’s easy to see why.
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During his senior year at Hutto, Hammond racked up over 5,000 yards of total offense, including nearly 4,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards. His 48 touchdowns broke down to 35 through the air and 19 on the ground, earning him the prestigious Mr. Texas Football award from Dave Campbell’s.
At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, Hammond’s dual-threat skill set has already sparked excitement among Texas Tech fans, with some calling for him to take the reins before the season even began. He’s undeniably the future of the program, but depending on Behren Morton’s status, the future might arrive sooner than expected.
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