Thomas Castellanos gets bad news after latest court ruling

Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Thomas Castellanos. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas Tech QB Thomas Castellanos gets bad news after latest court ruling

By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Oct 2, 2026 5:07 PM ET

The No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders are off to a 4-0 start with a Big 12 Conference game on the road against Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday.

On Friday, Texas Tech backup quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who played at Boston College and Florida State previously, received some bad news.

Castellanos is now ineligible after the Kentucky Court of Appeals dissolved the NCAA injunction that would've allowed players from the Class of 2022 to play a fifth year.

Castellanos is one of several who will be impacted, and this also includes Missouri Tigers basketball player Mark Mitchell.

News: Texas Tech backup QB Thomas Castellanos is ineligible again after an appeals court rules for the NCAA in one of the fifth-year player cases.

Also some notable basketball players in here. https://t.co/lAfHtguvPn
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 2, 2026

The 5-in-5 battle has been ongoing for some time, but the injunction allowed such players to have another year of eligibility.

Thomas Castellanos' attorney released a statement

After the ruling in Kentucky, Ryan Downton, Castellanos' attorney, released a statement via Pete Nakos of On3.

"As long as he did not have any professionalism issues, they should certify him as eligible under the NCAA Manual as it exists today."

Nakos added that the ultimate decision will come down to Texas Tech’s compliance office.

Castellanos has appeared in three games. He had a touchdown pass against Oregon State, then had an interception in his only attempt against Houston.

Castellanos went 1-of-2 for 27 yards with a touchdown against Sam Houston State in Week 4, but his future in Lubbock is now in question following the latest NCAA ruling.

The saga continues.

Matt Wadleigh

Matt Wadleigh is based in California and born and raised in the San Diego area. He studied print journalism at Fresno State for college and got to watch Paul George, Derek Carr and Davante Adams play in a Bulldogs uniform. His work has been featured at ClutchPoints, Sportscasting, Sporting News, and various USA Today sites, including UCLA Wire, where he was the first managing editor

More must-reads: