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Florida State landed a commitment from Boston College quarterback transfer Thomas Castellanos on Wednesday evening, giving the Seminoles their quarterback for the immediate future, at the very least. Castellanos comes to Tallahassee after two seasons at Boston College, where he quickly emerged as a dynamic playmaker for the Eagles. At the time of his commitment, Castellanos ranks as the No. 13 QB and as the No. 89 class 2025 transfer.
Notably, Castellanos guided Boston College to a marquee (at the time) 28-13 victory over then-No. 10 Florida State in Week 1 of the 2024 season. The Seminoles got a firsthand look at what Castellanos is capable of, as he threw for 106 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards, on an average of 5.2 yards per carry, and another score.
Castellanos is a dynamic threat out of the backfield but, even so, fan reaction to his commitment was mixed on the popular Noles247 message board, with one poster saying, “And the crowd goes mild.” A lot of the consternation stems from Florida State’s loss of blue-chip quarterback Luke Kromenhoek to the transfer portal. Kromenhoek signed with Florida State in 2024 as the No. 4 quarterback in his class and was regarded as a key building block in Florida State’s offensive plans.
Kromenhoek’s departure leaves Florida State thin on high-level depth behind Castellanos, and it also creates significant questions about Florida State’s succession plan once Castellanos leaves. Florida State coach Mike Norvell has yet to adequately develop a quarterback from the high school ranks and has almost entirely depended upon transfers during his tenure.
The latest of which, obviously, is Castellanos, who Norvell has hitched his wagon — and potentially his coaching future — to. But will it work out?
Why Castellanos will work out
As outlined above, Castellanos is one of the most electric play-making quarterbacks in the entire nation. He is also a perfect fit for new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s scheme. In fact, Malzahn and Castellanos have a significant history.
Castellanos began his collegiate career by signing with UCF and Malzahn in 2022 as a three-star athlete out of Waycross, Georgia’s Ware County High School. He quickly found a position at quarterback and appeared in five games as a true freshman, rushing for 120 yards and one touchdown.
With the opportunity for more snaps in front of him, Castellanos transferred to Boston College ahead of the 2023 season and immediately became a starter. He finished the year with 2,248 yards passing and 1,113 yards rushing, becoming the first player in Boston College history and just the fifth in the ACC since 1996 with 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing.
Boston College underwent a coaching transition in 2024 and hired former NFL head coach and long-time offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Castellanos flourished through his first few games with O’Brien through their first few games together — including the legacy win against Florida State — but Castellanos got banged up as the year went on, which hampered his ability as a rusher.
He was eventually benched against Syracuse, ending an altogether weird marriage between Castellanos’ skills and O’Brien’s scheme. Castellanos should perform much better in a Malzahn offense that, at its core, encourages the quarterback to make plays with his feet and get creative outside of the pocket.
Castellanos can also cover some of Florida State’s other offensive deficiencies. Notably, the Seminoles need a lot of help along the offensive line, and they desperately need some reliable pass-catching options to emerge. Ja’khi Douglas was the only FSU player with at least 500 yards receiving in 2024, and he’s out of eligibility.
Help could, and very much should, come through the transfer portal — especially since Norvell’s development has been lackluster thus far — but regardless of what happens elsewhere, Castellanos can make things happen on his own with his legs.
Why Castellanos won’t work out
Castellanos might be dynamic on his legs, but he still has plenty of work to do as a passer. He did make significant strides in his decision-making in 2024, with 18 touchdowns to just five interceptions, but he does not have the arm talent to push the ball downfield.
He did also average a respectable 8.5 yards per pass attempt but had a 61.5% completion rate, which ranks 68th nationally among qualified FBS quarterbacks. He also posted a quarterback rating of 38.3, 111th nationally among FBS quarterbacks, in eight games.
There are some concerns about Castellanos’ durability. He has yet to miss significant time with injury, but there have been periods throughout his career where he has dealt with lingering ailments. He doesn’t have the ideal frame, at 5-foot-9 and 196 pounds, to put up with consistent punishment, which isn’t great news for a Florida State team that allowed an FBS-worst 49 sacks in 2024.
Castellanos comes with some off-field baggage, as well. As mentioned above, he was hurt, and then benched, in Boston College’s Nov. 9 win against Syracuse. Five days later, he announced his plans to enter the transfer portal and stepped away from the team with three regular season games remaining. The Eagles went 2-1 without Castellanos.
While he may emerge as a leader with the Seminoles, there were clear cultural issues amid their 2-10 2024 season. Florida State had a revolving door at quarterback, thanks in part to an injury to starter DJ Uiagalelei, and Norvell might not be patient given the external pressure for a turnaround. How Castellanos handles any hardship at Florida State could define his time with the program.
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