Way-Too-Early Virginia Tech Football Preview and Prediction: Week 12, at Florida State

After following its 2023 season with a 2-10 record last year, head coach Mike Norvell and his Seminoles look to bounce back this fall. Norvell landed ACC transfer Tommy Castellanos from Boston College to lead his offensive unit under center.

Castellanos started his career at the University of Central Florida, committing to the Knights in high school as a three-star prospect, according to 247Sports. After attempting just 16 passes over his freshman campaign, Castellanos entered the transfer portal looking for a starting role, ultimately finding that with the Golden Eagles.

In Chestnut Hill, Castellanos capped off his inaugural season with Boston College with 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards of his own; his team qualified for the 2023 Fenway Bowl and defeated then-No. 17 SMU, 23-14, behind the power of Castellanos' pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns.

A 2024 riddled with injuries kept Castellanos’ offensive output down, but he remained the crucial backbone for the Golden Eagles in their victories over the season. Unable to replicate the true dual-threat attack seen in 2023, Castellanos suffered a leg injury against Syracuse in Week 10 then was benched for the remainder of the season.

The Seminoles’ 2024 season was defined by instability under center. Florida State was forced to start three different quarterbacks as injuries and inconsistency derailed any hope of establishing an offensive rhythm. The biggest blow came when redshirt senior DJ Uiagalelei, the team’s most experienced signal-caller, suffered a season-ending malady just five games into the campaign. From there, the Seminoles cycled through a pair of backups, searching for answers but never quite finding the steady production required to escape the ACC’s basement.

Now with Castellanos coming into Tallahassee for his senior year, Florida State is aiming for a reset at the game’s most important position, with both him and Norvell looking to each other in a make-or-break campaign that could impact each of their immediate futures.

On3 sports writer Daniel Hager shed light on the different dynamics of the Seminoles squad in 2025:

“In just the span of one season, head coach Mike Norvell went from complete job security to having many doubters among college football fans and Florida State fans. Forced team building was one of the main reasons that went into the failure that was last season, as he revealed at ACC Media Days.

‘Ironically, probably a year ago we did forced team building,’ Norvell said. ‘There was a reason. And this year, I don’t think we’ve had to as much. But we still had opportunities to be able to have connection and for guys to enjoy the process and who they’re getting to do it with. Last week, we split up offense and defense and they came over to the house and we just got to be around them. We just got to see their interactions and it was a great couple of nights that we got to share together.

‘For me to sit back and see how comfortable our football is together (you see it on the field and in workouts) but this team genuinely enjoys who they’re getting to do it with. And that allows for a heightened sense of work, investment, care and passion for all of what’s making up this team. That gets me excited.’”

Under the guidance of Norvell, Florida State can always pose a potent threat to defenses. The Seminoles have a potential ceiling that could see them back in the mix for another ACC title. With Castellanos under center, he remains the pivotal factor in how Florida State looks in 2025.

The Hokies faced off against Castellanos in both of his seasons in the maroon and gold, capturing victory in both contests by over two dozen cumulative points. In 2023, the loss snapped a five-game win streak that the Golden Eagles had amassed. The prior meetings will carry some significance into the Week 12 affair, but Castellanos is both new to Tallahassee and the schemes of Tech defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes.

Virginia Tech’s defense hasn’t allowed much ground production from opposing quarterbacks in recent seasons, even against mobile threats, as Castellanos could be. Take last season’s Miami game, for example: Hurricanes signal-caller Cam Ward compiled 57 rushing yards against the Hokies. The only one who achieved more? Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, who amassed 104. Only three quarterbacks that Tech faced in 2024 accumulated 30 or more rushing yards: Pavia, Ward and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (30).

That doesn’t mean the Hokies can afford to ignore the threat entirely; scrambling plays can still swing momentum. But it does suggest that raw athleticism at the position alone hasn’t been enough to tilt matchups. The premier quarterbacks are the ones that can slice up a defense both ways and Castellanos does not fit that mold. He has shown at times that he can fit one of the two parameters for a quarterback, but not that he can achieve both simultaneously.

With the contest slated for the middle of November, Siefkes will utilize the earlier weeks to craft a game plan suited for shutting down the Seminoles' air attack. The key component in stopping Castellanos will be shutting his wide receivers down with stellar play from the team’s defensive backs.

This past offseason, Tech lost its two best cornerbacks — Mansoor Delane to LSU and Dorian Strong to the NFL — leaving a glaring gap for Siefkes to fill entering the campaign. While the transfer portal assisted in filling out the positional group, junior Dante Lovett will see an increased role with the Hokies after appearing in all 13 games over his first two seasons.

Lovett only made two starts in the maroon and orange; however, one came in the 2025 Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota, where he snagged an interception. As he defined his game alongside Delane and Strong, and now having the guidance from Siefkes, expect Lovett to make the jump into a solidified position on the starting roster.

It is uncertain who will fill out the remainder of the starting lineup for Tech, but a handful of incoming transfers possess strong cases to earn the spot. Joseph Reddish and Isaiah Brown-Murray are both suited to compete against ACC competition.

Joseph’s younger brother, Quentin Reddish, played in 12 games for the Hokies while tallying 20 tackles over his freshman year in 2024. Joseph possesses those same skills, bringing down 33 defenders last season at Wingate.

The four interceptions Reddish snagged prove he has the mold under Siefkes to become a true ball-hawking defensive back. Alongside him, Brown-Murray leaves East Carolina after three seasons; his most recent was spent as the Pirates’ iron workhorse, logging 830 defensive snaps.

In coverage, Brown-Murray posted a 72.7 Pro Football Focus grade with an overall defensive grade of 73.1, proving that even with the increased workload, he can still contest and guard receivers efficiently, though Power 4 competition can be faster-paced and more fatiguing compared to mid-major action.

For Siefkes, keeping his defensive front energized will be key in edging out Norvell’s offensive attack. Down the stretch of this game, some freshman defensive backs could prove beneficial in allowing the defense to stay well-rested. Jahmari DeLoatch and Jojo Crim are two young talents we expect to contribute more and more as the season progresses, potentially negating the need for a redshirt for either or both.

With the increased firepower that Castellanos now has around him, we both predict that he will be able to give the Hokies a much closer battle than the two with the Golden Eagles, potentially heading into the final 15 minutes with a one-possession contest.

Of course, the Seminoles’ ability to execute in that scenario hinges on more than just quarterback play. Florida State still has to prove it has moved on from the inconsistency and attrition that defined last season’s campaign, which saw the program cycle through quarterbacks and struggle to maintain rhythm in ACC play. If those issues resurface late in the year, the grind of the conference slate could weigh heavily once again, threatening to undo the progress gained from Castellanos’ arrival and renewed offensive depth.

We believe that Tech has enough to capture this Tallahassee tilt, but Florida State’s unpredictability means that it could swing either way. Next up: the Hokies head back to Blacksburg to face another opponent from the Sunshine State: Miami, led by Georgia transfer Carson Beck.

Score Predictions for Virginia Tech at Florida State:

Thomas’ Prediction: Virginia Tech 34, Florida State 24

Kaden’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Florida State 20