Former Boston College QB Tommy Castellanos Remorseful About How He Left Program

Former Boston College and current Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos is having second thoughts about how he left the program. 

During a special edition of ACC Huddle with Roddy Jones, he opened up about leaving Boston College and shared that he wishes things went down differently. 

“If I had to go back and do it again, I think that I owe my brothers a better explanation and if I had to go do it again, I would stay and I would just go through the storm with them,” said Castellanos. “Just because of all the work we put in together, all the relationships and bonds that are created with those guys, I feel like I owe that to them to just sat though whatever I was going through and put my problems aside and not be selfish and just be there for them and support them through no matter what it was. So, I really wish that if we could go back in time, I would just sit and I would just watch. 

“But the benching was not the [only] case,” said Castellanos. “There was a lot of other things that was going on personally and that’s what caused me to just step away from my team. But, if I had to go back and I hope if they see this that [they know] I wish that I could have sat there and went through the rest of the year with them and watch them play and watch them grind and continue to achieve their goals.” 

The Waycross, Ga., native spent two seasons with the Eagles from 2023-24 after transferring from UCF. 

In 2024, he played in eight games and went 99-of-161 for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions as well as 93 rush attempts for 194 yards and one touchdown. 

After being benched for Grayson James in Boston College’s Week 11 game against Syracuse, a 37-31 win, head coach Bill O’Brien announced James would start the following week against SMU. 

Shortly after the announcement, Castellanos left the program and eventually entered the transfer portal. 

Although he is remorseful on how he left, he emphasized that he did not quit on the team and that it was not a hard decision to leave. 

“It was kinda crazy at the time and stuff like that with everything that’s going on,” said Castellanos. “There’s a lot of scenarios that’s out there right now. The aspect of ‘oh, he got benched,’ or ‘he quit.’ Only me and Coach O’Brien and whoever else was in the room really knows what really happened. But it was pretty much easy for me to decide to leave where you’re not wanted. And obviously, when the portal opened, Florida State reached out, whoever reached out. Gus Malzahn reached out and I stopped answering everybody else’s phone calls.” 

He also gave a little insight on why he chose Boston College over other schools after entering the portal the first time, noting that developing was a big factor. 

“My transition to BC was just because I wanted go to somewhere where I could be developing and where I could just show the world what I can do,” said Castellanos. “I [was] never really one of those guys that really cared about logo or a school or anything like that, I just wanted to go show the world what I can do and they allowed me to do that.” 

Florida State opens its season against No. 8 Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.