MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Texas Tech defender Beren Morton he doesn't have athletic shoes and was in full training this month for the No. 4 Red Raiders' College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the No. 5 seed. Oregonthe veteran bystander told reporters Tuesday.
Morton spent the second half of this season playing through an injury and a fractured right fibula. Speaking at Orange Bowl media day at Hard Rock Stadium, Morton touted the benefits of the Red Raiders' 26-day layoff following the Big 12 championship game and said he expects to enter Thursday's game against Oregon (12 p.m. ET, ESPN) feeling healthier and better prepared to play than at any time since mid-October.
“This whole fight preparation went really well for me,” Morton said. “I trained almost 100 percent in team reps. I haven't been able to really follow commands all season… Just getting my body back to playing football again – it's been a long time since I've been able to do that.”
Morton threw for 2,643 yards on 67% passing with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2025. His improved health marks a key development for Texas Tech ahead of the program's first-ever CFP appearance, which came after the Red Raiders stormed the regular season with a 12-1 record, leading the nation in hits (410).
Morton said he spent seven to eight weeks in a walking boot this season and played in “quite sore” after injuring his right leg in the 42-17 win. Kansas October 11. He missed just two games in October before returning to start each of the Red Raiders' final five contests, leading Texas Tech to its first conference title since 1955 despite an injury that limited his mobility and kept him out of most practices until the first week of December.
“To sit in cleats all week, not go to practice, and then take the cleats off on Saturday and go to the game, it wasn't fun at all,” said Morton, who said coach Joey McGuire gave him one day of practice before the Big 12 title game against BYU.
Morton said he stopped wearing cleats after the conference championship game and was almost a full participant in the build-up to Texas Tech's Orange Bowl this month. Ahead of the game against Oregon and the nation's 10th-ranked defense, he described increased comfort and confidence after three weeks of practice and regular repetitions.
“It makes a big difference,” he said. “…I feel a lot better just moving, lifting weights, squatting again, all those things that I haven't been able to do for the last couple of months. I can do it again.”
With backup defender Will Hammond Due to a season-ending knee injury, Morton remained a potential starter. Even though he's been close to full strength over the past two months, Morton now not only believes he's in prime shape to better dominate heading into the CFP quarterfinals.
“When I'm healthy, I think crime increases significantly,” he said. “We have so many playmakers though. It makes my job easier. If I can find them open and get them the ball quickly, I think we can be pretty explosive.”
