FSU and QB Thomas Castellanos are a perfect pairing, with both wanting a fresh start

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State coach Mike Norvell saw enough in two games against quarterback Thomas Castellanos that he knew what to expect from the Boston College transfer.

At least on the field.

“I’ve had to defend him here the last couple years, and I think he added a bunch of these gray hairs,” Norvell joked. “He’s an absolute talent and a wonderful young man. I think he’s one of the more dynamic players in all of college football.”

Castellanos, who accounted for five touchdowns the last two years against FSU, signed with the Seminoles in mid-December and held his first news conference Tuesday.

“I would say 2023 and 2024 helped me prove that I can play quarterback and play quarterback here,” Castellanos said. “God does everything for a reason. I can’t complain. That’s the path he chose for me. And now I’m here. It all worked out the way I wanted it to work out. I’m super excited to be here now.”

Castellanos and the Seminoles seem to be a perfect pairing — both looking for fresh starts after disappointing seasons.

Castellanos abruptly left Boston College in mid-November after losing his starting job to Grayson James.

Not PARSE.LY: College sports

Justice Jackson punches out her frustrations with the conservative Supreme Court in the boxing ring

 

Strength-sapping defense fuels No. 6 Houston’s 13-game winning streak

 

Raynaud has 17th double-double, Stanford scores first 17 points to beat Syracuse 70-61

 

“I would just say unfortunately things didn’t happen the way I wanted them to happen,” Castellanos said. “Unfortunately, a lot of the things that were out there are not true. But that’s past me now.

“I’m here now. I’m a part of something special.”

The Seminoles, meanwhile, finished 2-10 last season — their worst record in 50 years — and have undergone significant changes on both sides of the ball. Norvell replaced both coordinators, four more assistants and hit the transfer portal hard signing 16 tranfers in hopes of improving his roster.

Castellanos could be the most important one. He grew up about three hours northeast of Tallahassee in Waycross, Georgia, and called Florida State his “dream school.” And the move included a reunion with former UCF coach Gus Malzahn.

Castellanos played sparingly for Malzahn in 2022 in Orlando, throwing 16 passes in five games before jumping to Boston College for a chance to start. In two up-and-down seasons with the Eagles, he showed flashes — first as a runner and then as a passer.

In 2023, Castellanos had nearly as many interceptions (14) as touchdown passes (15) while running for 1,113 yards. A year later, with Bill O’Brien as his head coach, Castellanos developed into a pocket passer and ran for just 194 yards while improving his completion percentage by four percentage points. He accounted for 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions in eight games.

Three of those TDs came in a victory against the Seminoles last September.

Castellanos is viewed as an ideal fit for Malzahn’s offense. And despite spending just one year at UCF, Castellanos has fond memories of working with Malzahn.

“A great leader, great coach,” Castellanos said. “We had a great bond when I was there. I’m excited to be back with him. … It’s an offense that is going to be explosive, going to be high tempo.”

Castellanos also insisted he had no doubts about joining — and potentially leading — FSU’s rebuild.

“I know what kind of excitement this fan base and this community brings just by even playing here or watching,” Castellanos said. “This is an exciting place that loves football and really cares about their guys and their players.

“I just wanted to be a part of that. I just wanted to come back, down south, closer to home and be a part of something special.”

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football