Mike Norvell reveals where Thomas Castellanos stands in Florida State quarterback battle

Thomas Castellanos was one of the most coveted quarterbacks to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal during the Winter window, ultimately flipping his commitment from Auburn to Florida State in mid-December. The former Boston College QB credited new FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn for that move.

And based on recent comments from Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, it’s shaping out to be a wise decision from Castellanos. He is competing with sophomore Brock Glenn and freshman Trever Jackson, a Spring portal addition from Arkansas, to be FSU’s starting quarterback in 2025.

“He’s putting himself in position. You talk about being the starting quarterback, but our expectations for him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Norvell told Warchant.com during a recent trip to Jacksonville, Fla. “And that’s one of the challenges. Yes, every guy in that (quarterback) room is competing. Everybody’s trying to push to be the best they can be, but we want to set the highest expectations for what they’re capable of and you just go out every single day and try to live up to that.”

That’s certainly some lofty aspirations for Castellanos, who combined for nearly 5,000 yards of total offense and 47 total touchdowns across 20 starts the past two seasons in Boston College. That included combining for 3,361 yards — 1,113 rushing — and 28 total touchdowns in 2023. Castellanos wasn’t nearly as productive in 2024, his lone season under Bill O’Brien, and entered the portal in mid-November after O’Brien replaced him as BC’s starter.

Mike Norvell: New FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos ‘really just provides a spark’

According to his new head coach, Castellanos has fit like a glove since arriving in Tallahassee. Norvell further elaborated on that point during his interview.

“Tommy’s doing a great job. He’s really come in, he’s so very talented, got great skill with his arm and his legs, but the thing I’ve been so impressed with is just his leadership, and the investment he’s making into his teammates,” Norvell added. “He really just provides a spark, from the minute he steps on the field, guys offensively and defensively are just drawn to him, and he’s been great for our quarterback room. I think that’s a really special room when it comes to the talent and ability those guys have, but Tommy’s just got one of those personalities that really draw people to him, and he puts a lot time in building those relationships. So really pleased with what we’ve seen so far.”