Texas Tech football lands 2026 quarterback to anchor next recruiting class.

Stephen Cannon, a Georgia product, has committed to the Texas Tech football program, filling an important need for Joey McGuire and his coaching staff.

Regardless of how strong a team’s quarterback room might be, it is imperative to add more talent to that group in every recruiting cycle. That’s exactly what Texas Tech did on Tuesday.

Stephen Cannon, a 3-star high school prospect from Savannah, Georgia, became the second offensive player to commit to the Red Raiders for the class of 2026, and he shared the news on X. That fills an important hole in the current recruiting class that head coach Joey McGuire is assembling.

At first glance, Cannon’s profile might not cause people to rejoice in the streets of Lubbock. According to 247Sports, he is just the No. 742 overall player and No. 42 quarterback in his class.

What’s more, Cannon’s current offer list is rather modest. He picked the Red Raiders over Wake Forest, Virginia, Central Florida, South Florida, Georgia Tech, and others.

However, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder will have plenty of time to develop into a solid collegiate. That’s because the Red Raiders’ quarterback room is in great shape.

This fall, Behren Morton will lead the offense, his third season as Tech’s primary starter and the second year in a row that he’s been QB1 throughout the offseason. The only question about Morton is whether or not he will be fully recovered from the shoulder surgery he underwent in December, a procedure that has kept him out of spring practices this year.

Behind him is Will Hammond, a redshirt freshman who oozes potential. Though he has made only one career start, the former 4-star recruit has flashed enough in his limited time on campus to convince Red Raiders that he is the QB of the future in Lubbock. What’s more, with Morton out this spring, Hammond is getting all the first-team practice reps, which will only help to accelerate his development as he readies to take over the offense next fall.

Rounding out the Tech quarterback room right now are 2025 signee Lloyd Jones III (who is also missing spring practices as he recovers from knee surgery) and Mitch Griffis, a senior transfer from Wake Forest.

Thus, Cannon will be under no pressure to light the world on fire when he steps on campus next year. However, he will be an important piece of the current recruiting class simply because of the position he plays.

Tech fans know all too well the importance of having depth at quarterback. 2024 was the first season since 2016 (when Patrick Mahomes II was a junior) that the program saw the same quarterback (Morton) make every start in the regular season. What’s more, it has been since 2016 that the Red Raiders haven’t had to start two different quarterbacks in a season.

Of course, in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, three different quarterbacks had to start at least one game for Texas Tech. Thus, it is always imperative to keep the QB room well-stocked, and that’s why Cannon is an important addition for Joey

McGuire and his program.