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Inside the Helmet: Hutto's Hammond talks Elite 11, Texas Tech
A dream came true for one of Austin’s top quarterbacks in Hutto’s Will Hammond.
The senior-to-be was earned a prestigious Elite 11 Camp and participated with some of the nation’s top preps a few weeks back.
“It was special,” he said. “To compete with the top guys in the country and get coached by the best in the globe was a tremendous experience. What I really took away was the intellectual part of the game. Sure, I picked up some footwork and eye recognition tips, but it was really the mental toughness and leadership lessons that I really got the most out of.”
The Texas Tech-commit will have more tools in the belt as he enters his senior year from the experience in California. The three-year starter threw for over 2,700 yards and 30 TDs and rushed for over 700 yards as a junior but wants more.
“I'm really excited about my senior year,” he said. “We have underperformed the past two years and we have something to prove. Our summer workouts are going to get us prepared for a long season. We just need to do a better job at finishing games. Staying healthy will also be key. I have high expectations for us this year and I feel as ready as I ever have.”
Then it’s off to Texas Tech, where he is trying to recruit some additional offensive pieces to the puzzle for coach Joey McGuire.
“I’m really trying to keep tabs on the potential recruits and commits and get everyone excited about being a Red Raider,” he said. “I’m just out there building relationships because we are going to be teammates the next four years.”
Well, he's off to a good start.
Katy three-star linebacker Ty Kana poses for a photo with his parents on Early Signing Day on Wednesday morning at Katy High School.
Katy LB Kana finds home with McGuire's Red Raiders
It didn’t take long for new Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire to make an impression on Katy three-star linebacker Ty Kana.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Kana decommitted from the University of Southern California on Oct. 25. He ultimately found a football soulmate in McGuire, a highly regarded leader in Texas high school and college coaching circles who was hired to lead the Red Raiders on Nov. 8.
“I like Coach McGuire,” said Kana, who held 13 offers, including Baylor, Oklahoma State, and SMU. “I like what he’s building over there. That program has the opportunity upon it to become a powerhouse. The recruiting class Coach McGuire has gotten in the past month … he’s got the recruits. We’ve got the talent.
“Things are going to change in Lubbock pretty soon.”
McGuire got his start in the high school ranks. He led Cedar Hill to three state championships in 2006, 2013 and 2014 before going to Baylor. He was an associate head coach and linebackers coach with the Bears before accepting the gig in Lubbock.
“His brand of football, going all the way back to his high school days at Cedar Hill, is freaking physical, hard-nosed, put your head down and work,” Kana said. “That kind of football, like what we pride ourselves on here at Katy. He likes that, and I liked seeing that he’s going to put that on his program at Texas Tech. That’s one of the things that stood out to me.”
Kana was a three-year letterman and team captain at Katy. He compiled 304 total tackles with 31 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a fumble caused in helping lead Katy to a 39-3 record over the last three seasons and the 2020 Class 6A-Division II state championship.
“There’s nothing in the world I would trade for my time as a Katy Tiger,” Kana said. “It’s been a great four years. Lots of memories, lots of teammates that have come and gone. It’s been a wild four years for me.”