TALLAHASSE, Fla.—The talk of the town is quarterback Tommy Castellanos and Florida State. The Seminoles had a rough go in 2024 and finished with a 2-10 record. The fans weren’t pleased at all. Something was missing that they needed, and this season, they have the chance to right the ship and show why they belong in the national spotlight.
There’s been a lot of inconsistency at the quarterback position, and the Seminoles were looking for one thing: juice. In comes in the form of Castellanos, a transfer quarterback from Boston College. I’m not here to tear a young QB apart. Instead, I will break down his game, how he will fit the scheme and give my opinion on his comments.
Castellanos Highlights
The Seminoles are getting a vocal leader who brings an infectious positive energy everywhere that he goes. A lot of people misunderstand him and assume that he’s cocky. This is far from the truth. He’s a guiding light for his teammates. You have to be around it to understand it. Here are a few things that I like about Castellanos:
- Vocal leader: When he speaks, he commands the room. His personality makes it easy for people to get along with him. Hate him or love him, his teammates and coaches love him and all that he brings. This team will go as far as he takes them.
- Mobility: This is his strongest tangible skill, but hard to teach. His speed and agility is something that he was born with. In 2023, Castellanos rushed for 1,113 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns from the QB spot. He operates on a different gear.
- Steady improvement: People can say whatever they want but numbers always tell the story. Was he turnover prone in 2023? Absolutely, 14 interceptions were unacceptable. What happened in 2024? He improved almost overnight. He recorded 18 touchdown passes, against five interceptions. That is steady growth.
Every QB has to go through their developmental phase, this is Castellanos’. The difference is that his story is in the national spotlight. Florida State is exactly where he needs to be.
The Missing Piece
Castellanos is the missing piece to getting this offense off the ground. He plays his best outside the numbers and forces defenses to show their hand. This adds another dimension to the offense.
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Scheme Fit
- RPO and Zone-read: This is the bread and butter, used to create explosive plays from the line of scrimmage.
- Designed QB runs: Will be very critical for efficiency, used to establish the run game early.
- Roll-out and sprint-out concepts: Doing this will maximize the impact of his mobility.
- Quick game: Get the ball in the hands of his teammates as often as possible.
Concerns
This won’t be an easy task, as the Seminoles are trying to get back on track. Castellanos needs to take a big jump in the passing game for his guys to have a chance. Here are some things that stuck out to me:
- Turnovers: Although improved from a year ago, he will have to be more under control in high-pressure situations.
- Performance under pressure: Big time games require big time performances. What will he do when his first two progressions aren’t open right away?
- Durability: I admire his grit and fire. Does his play style invite too much contact? If so, does he protect himself at all times? And, can he do this for an entire season
Part of the game
Players talking junk to each other has been a thing ever since the inception of this beautiful game of football. I love it because football is supposed to be fun and it comes with the craft. If you’ve never experienced that kind of atmosphere, it will be difficult to understand. There were some comments made that rubbed people the wrong way.
In June, Castellanos told On3 that “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them,” in regard to Alabama. He would also state, “I just don’t see them stopping me.” Simply put, he accepts the the challenge, and wants to give his team that juice that’s been missing. I don’t see an issue here—I love it. People want to say that his numbers don’t match his trash talk. Until they lace up the cleats in August, numbers don’t matter. I will say that every year, not one team remains the same going into the next year. At 3:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 you might be in for a surprise.
Final Remarks
For Florida State, they have a guy in Castellanos who isn’t a plug-and-play type of player. He is a young, competitive, crafty and confident QB that has yet to scratch the surface of his potential. Most teams have issues finding their starter but the Seminoles have answered that.
To those that like to judge someone without having all of the facts, or judge at all for that matter, take a look in the mirror. I can guarantee that most people wouldn’t be able to manage what Castellanos has to manage. Celebrate and support the young man because college football is hard enough.
