Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles have added a new signal-caller to the roster following Luke Kromenhoek’s decision to enter the transfer portal. Former UCF Knights and Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos has chosen Florida State as his next destination:
Castellanos is a 5’10”, 196 pound quarterback who, when healthy, is a dynamic playmaker with his legs.
He’s had nagging lower-body injuries that limited his mobility at times on the field. He is a threat to use his legs on any play (again, when healthy) and has improved his completion percentage each season, though he has yet to crack 60% accuracy. He will need to continue improving those numbers in garnet and gold.
In two seasons with Boston College, Castellanos threw for 3,614 yards, rushed for 1,307 yards, and notched 47 total touchdowns. However, he proved a poor fit with in new BC coach Bill O’Brien’s pro-style offense, as his rushing yardage dropped from 1,113 yards on 5.2 yards per carry as a sophomore to 194 yards on 2.1 yards per carry as a junior.
He departed the program prior to season’s end, making him a polarizing figure. There are conflicting opinions as to whether Castellanos quit on his team or if he got a raw deal from the coaching staff. As with anything, the truth likely fits somewhere in the middle. Mike Norvell and his staff are clearly comfortable with how Castellanos explained the situation after vetting him.
FSU originally recruited Castellanos as an athlete with assurances to try him out at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver before settling on a position. UCF was able to land Castellanos after a promise to play quarterback under Gus Malzahn, who is now FSU’s offensive coordinator. He played in five games for the Knights as a true freshman, going 9-16 for 75 yards and rushing 14 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
BREAKING: Former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos has Committed to Florida State, he tells @on3sports
The 5’11 205 QB totaled 3,689 yards passing and 33 TDs
Added 1,427 yards on the ground & 15 TDs (3 seasons)https://t.co/yuw149Hlnk pic.twitter.com/66he3s5y7m
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 12, 2024
Castellanos is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
From his BC bio:
2023 (Sophomore): Started 12 games and played in all 13 at quarterback… totaled 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards, third most in the ACC, to become the first 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher in BC history and just the fifth in the ACC since 1996… went 189-for-330 through the air for a 57.3 completion percentage, while tossing 15 touchdowns… averaged 5.2 yards per carry on the ground and ran for 13 touchdowns, which ranked third in the ACC… made BC debut off the bench in the second quarter against NIU (9/2) and went 13-for-28 for two touchdowns and added 67 yards and a score on the ground on nine carries… went 17-for-23 for 201 yards and two touchdowns in first start vs. Holy Cross (9/9), while contributing 69 rushing yards… produced 400 total yards vs. Florida State (9/16) on 20-for-33 passing for 305 yards and a touchdown plus 96 rushing yards and a score… threw three touchdown passes at Louisville and ran for another with 265 passing yards and 49 rushing yards… went 16-for-26 for 183 yards and two touchdowns vs. Virginia (9/30) to go with 78 rushing yards… carried the ball 31 times for 142 yards and four touchdowns at Army (10/7) in a driving ran, throwing just nine times… second consecutive 100-yard rushing games with 128 yards and two touchdowns at Georgia Tech (10/21), while tossing for 255 yards on 17-of-29 passing as he was named ACC Quarterback of the Week and named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week… went 16-for-24 with a touchdown and added 45 yards against Connecticut (10/28)… threw for 165 yards and a touchdown on 20-for-37 passing at Syracuse (11/3) on top of 87 rushing yards with a touchdown… went 10-for-20 for 110 yards and a touchdown to go with 46 rushing yards against Virginia Tech (11/11)… threw for 171 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-25 passing at Pittsburgh (11/16)… rushed for 130 yards and a score vs. Miami (11/24) plus 151 passing yards on 15-for-25 passing… named Offensive MVP of the Fenway Bowl with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns against SMU (11/28) to go with 102 passing yards.
Before BC: Spent his freshman season at UCF and appeared in five games… completed 9-of-16 passes for 75 yards… carried the ball 14 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
High School: Four-year starting quarterback at Ware County… threw for 7,710 career yards and ran for 3,681… threw for 2,613 with 25 touchdowns and ran for 968 with 13 touchdowns as a senior… named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 team… selected 5A All-State as a junior… guided team to a 10-win season in 2020 and threw for a career-best 2,881 yards and 23 touchdowns to go with 939 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground… also played cornerback. …
Personal: Applied Psychology major…recipient of the Richard F. Powers, Jr. ‘40 Quarterback Scholarship Fund.
