Behren Morton injury update: CFB insider shares latest news on Texas Tech QB's availability 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders suffered a medical setback to quarterback Behren Morton during their Week 9 35-34 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs.

Morton did not play in the second half of the game with a left shoulder injury, prompting backup quarterback Will Hammond to take the reins for the rest of the game.

On Tuesday, ESPN insider Pete Thamel reported that Morton was back to training for the Red Raiders' Week 10 clash against the Iowa State Cyclones.

"Sources: Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton looked strong in practice on Tuesday and is expected to start on Saturday at No. 10 Iowa State. He did not play in the second half last week against TCU with a left shoulder injury," Thamel tweeted.

The news reinforced Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire's report during his weekly news conference regarding his injured players being available for the Week 10 game.

“I will tell you, nothing structurally is wrong with Behren’s non-throwing shoulder,” McGuire said. “He’s got a lot of movement back in it, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He’ll practice tomorrow, practice Wednesday, but [we] feel really good about that.

"We were nervous that it was a break, couldn’t see anything, and so structurally, he’s good, but it’s going to be tough. But we’re excited.

"I don't see any of those questionable guys not being able to play on Saturday. It's good that we're going to get those guys back," he added.

Behren Morton has reliable backup in Will Hammond

Behren Morton is having a strong season and has registered 2,063 yards (No. 20 in the country) on 63.3% completion, resulting in 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

When he left the game against the TCU Horned Frogs, Morton had gone 13-of-22 for 137 yards. His backup QB, Will Hammond recorded 10-of-15 for 121 yards, resulting in a touchdown, although the Red Raiders blew a 17-point third-quarter lead to fall 35-34.

During his weekly news conference, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire revealed that he would not hesitate to play Hammond against Iowa State.

“He’s (Morton) pretty sore now,” McGuire said. “We are structurally sound, but I imagine he would tell you he wouldn’t want to go play a football game today.

"So I’m not ruling out playing Will Hammond Saturday. But I’m not going to rule out Behren Morton playing either.”

According to the Des Moines Register, the Red Raiders are keen to protect backup quarterback Will Hammond's redshirt status and will make every effort to have Behren Morton on the field for the rest of the season.