OSU’s Top Defender Started as a Walk-On at UNT but Dreamed of Playing for OSU Since He Was 4

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STILLWATER — For most of the bigger names at North Texas, Eric Morris’ new job offered them a chance to prove themselves at the Power Four level.

For safety Quinton Hammonds, it meant so much more.

“I am blessed to even be in this position right now,” Hammonds said. “I got to give all glory to God. And Coach (Drew) Svoboda and Coach Morris were the two people that trusted me coming in as a walk-on, and I mean just giving me a chance to play at North Texas. …

“Now them trusting me to be able to come here and be at Oklahoma State, which is my dream school, … I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hammonds’ attachment to OSU is somewhat unique among his teammates, but it’s a story as old as Cowboy football itself. A little kid walks into Boone Pickens Stadium without a favorite team and just like that, he leaves a Cowboy for life.

Hammonds was roughly 4 years old when his cousin Quinten Mobley visited the Pokes alongside high school teammate quarterback Alec Morris.

Of course, just because he had the dream, that doesn’t mean OSU was remotely realistic coming out of high school. Especially not at safety, a position he had to learn from scratch when he arrived at North Texas as a walk-on.

“I was expecting to be a scout team guy, maybe getting a few reps on special teams,” Hammonds said.

During Week 3 in 2024, they made the trip to Texas Tech and Hammonds found himself somewhat surprisingly thrown into the game on defense during the second quarter.

“It was a big culture shock,” Hammonds said. “I mean, first time ever being in a back pedal against a P4 team that Texas Tech with that crazy environment, but I was blessed to even be in that position.​”

He’s come a long way since then. Hammonds is the only player on OSU’s defense to play 100% of snaps against all three FBS opponents this fall, highlighted by a heroic 89-snap performance against West Virginia.

“He’s so smart. … His communication is phenomenal,” Eric Morris said. “He’s a guy that continues to grow and get better within this system. He’s just still learning. He has a lot of similarities like Drew (Mestemaker) and Wyatt (Young), where those guys didn’t play a ton of that position in high school, and they continue to grow. Now they’re in year three of playing.”

Unlike those other two, Hammonds took a year-two detour where he primarily lined up at nickel before moving back to safety this offseason.

One of his favorite plays this year came in the last game at West Virginia when Hammonds and teammate Jerry Lawson brought WVU quarterback Michael Hawkins down at the line of scrimmage on 3rd-and-1 late in the third quarter. It was a turning point in the game as the Mountaineers turned it over on downs near midfield, which allowed OSU to go up by a full touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“We knew about some of their tendencies,” Hammonds said. “Especially when they go empty, they like to run the ball out of it. So when we saw it was empty, I knew I could just end up letting the nickel do his thing on the receiver, and then I’ll just be on the run fit, just be able to be that edge piece, and me and Jerry Lawson were able to make a play on it and be able to stop him.”

Hammonds’ football journey has already exceeded his every expectation, but from time to time he runs into teammates who feel buried on the depth chart. He doesn’t mind giving them the advice that served him so well.

“Sometimes you just got to trust the process,” Hammonds said. “I mean, it is God’s plan and God’s speed. So I mean it is going to happen at some point, and you’re going to get a chance. You just got to be able to take full advantage of the opportunity you get.”

Editor’s note: If you want to read more about Hammond’s journey from walk-on to starter check out our story from last month where Eric Morris and former UNT teammates share his journey from their vantage point.