Joey McGuire makes first comments on addition of Thomas Castellanos to Texas Tech roster

Castellanos committed to Tech following a legal ruling tied to a lawsuit in Kentucky, which also involved Mark Mitchell, who later committed to Kentucky. McGuire addressed the addition publicly for the first time when the school made the announcement official.

Castellanos will enter competition to back up starting quarterback Will Hammond. McGuire said the program has planned since December to carry six quarterbacks in 2026, and Castellanos gives that group a player with experience. Tech fans who have watched the quarterback room get rebuilt over the past couple of seasons know that depth at the position has been a priority under McGuire.

Six quarterbacks on a roster is not typical by college football standards, and adding a player who needed a court order just to get back on the field makes this one of the stranger recruiting stories of the offseason.

Castellanos was not the only player added to the Kentucky lawsuit, but he is the only one who ended up in Lubbock.