It’s Week 12 of the college football season and Boston College is set to face the No. 14 ranked SMU Mustangs. However, they will be without quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who was benched by head coach Bill O’Brien. Why will they be without him? He’s decided to enter the transfer portal and find a new team for next season.
With that being said, where would be some good landing spots for Castellanos when the dust settles?
What are Thomas Castellanos’s best landing spots?
After two seasons with Boston College and one with UCF, Castellanos will join his new team with just one year of eligibility left. So far, he’s thrown for a career 3,689 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. He’s also, notably, added 1,427 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
However, just looking at 2023, Castellanos had 1,113 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground alone. His 5.2 yards per carry from that season has dropped down all the way to 2.1 per carry in 2024.
As a player, stats aside, his new team will be getting a 5’9″ 196-pound quarterback who can run the football with the best of them. However, while he is a capable passer, Castellanos is a highly turnover-prone player, something a new team might look to work on.
Florida State lands Thomas Castellanos
Florida State has struggled in 2024, mustering up a 1-9 record through 10 games, despite going 13-0 in the regular season last year. A big reason for their struggles has been issues at the quarterback position. The Noles have played three different quarterbacks and none have given them a spark. As result, they’re likely going to turn to the transfer portal to find a new solution.
In terms of Castellanos, FSU has had to watch him light them up on both the ground and in the air for two years straight. He didn’t just give their bad 2024 defense hell, he also gave their top-tier 2023 defense a lot of issues.
It’s also worth noting that FSU’s 2023 season came with Jordan Travis, a super elusive quarterback who found success running the ball. Following what they saw from their quarterbacks this season, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Mike Norvell tried to turn back to a Travis-style quarterback once again.
It also would make sense for Castellanos to make the move to Florida State, as he would likely be the starter and would also get to stay in the ACC, where he’s been playing for two years already. Oh yeah, he’s also from Miami, Florida.
Miami replaces Cam Ward with Castellanos
Miami doesn’t need a quarterback for 2024, they already have Cam Ward, who’s a Heisman candidate. However, he’s leaving for the NFL after the season, leaving them looking for a new quarterback next year. There isn’t any developmental option already on the team, so Mario Cristobal and company will likely be back in the quarterback market once again.
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Similar to the situation with FSU, Miami is where Castellanos is from and they’re also in the ACC. Additionally, he would likely start if he were to make the move to South Florida. Simply, it’d make sense for him.
However, it’d make sense for Miami too, who could use another mobile quarterback capable of opening up the ground game.
Castellanos fixes Michigan quarterback problems
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThis one is a stark geographical change for Castellanos, who would be making them over to the Big Ten. However, Michigan has also been in severe quarterback trouble this season, rotating between three different guys, and not finding much success from any of them. Castellanos would have the opportunity to calm that down.
Castellanos would fit in Michigan’s system well because of his legs. The Wolverines love to run the football, and adding in Castellanos’ run threat, it could make the Michigan run game even deadlier than it already was. It would also likely open up play action, where Castellanos finds most of his success as a passer.