Former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos is reportedly exploring a return to college football for a fifth and final season of eligibility. After going undrafted in the NFL Draft, the potential comeback presents a big opportunity for the signal-caller, and the college football world is already weighing in on the discussion.
College Football Community Reacts as Thomas Castellanos Receives Eligibility Boost
Castellanos was a 2022 class recruit, and he is now open to returning to college football after a preliminary injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted athletes from that recruiting cycle an extra year of eligibility. The decision follows the NCAA Division I Cabinet’s approval of its new five-for-five eligibility model in June.
The ruling has sparked heavy discussion about which players could take advantage of the additional season, and Castellanos seems to be one of the biggest beneficiaries. The former Boston College and UCF quarterback had previously sought an NCAA waiver after the 2025 season, arguing that he deserved another year because he appeared in only five games for UCF in 2022.
However, the NCAA initially denied Castellanos’ waiver request for a fifth season, which he is now fortunate to enjoy.
Meanwhile, the CFB community had some wild reactions to the discussion.
“This is going to be absolutely wild,” a top portal news handle, “College Transfer Portal,” posted on X.
This is going to be absolutely wild… https://t.co/zr7SuRLerH
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) August 1, 2026
“College football is just weird now. Completely different sport than five years ago. Kind of wild how fast the landscape shifted,” FSU alum Dustin Lewis wrote.
Castellanos has earned high praise as a dual-threat quarterback capable of extending plays with his legs. One of his most memorable performances came in Week 1 last season when he helped Florida State pull off a stunning upset over Alabama in Tallahassee with a 31-17 win.
A return to Florida State seems unlikely with Mike Norvell’s team already settled at quarterback. However, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, Castellanos’ agent, Joe Hernandez, confirmed that several programs have already expressed interest.
The quarterback is reportedly open to returning either as a signal-caller or in an athlete role. While he has limited experience at wide receiver, he did line up outside in 2023, recording two targets for minus-11 yards.
Some also began speculating about where Castellanos could land next.
“I speak for all Miami Hurricane fans: the NCAA should do what’s right and let this man back in Tallahassee,” BeatinTheBookie’s X handle wrote.
I speak for all Miami Hurricane fans: the NCAA should do what’s right and let this man back in Tallahassee. https://t.co/cAWNWU2KuT
— BeatinTheBookie.com®️ (@BeatinTheBookie) August 1, 2026
“FSU could get him back, that would be wild lol,” wrote “Flagship of Florida.”
Castellanos completed 58.3% of his passes for 2,760 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions last season. He also recorded 557 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns as Florida State finished with a 2-6 record in the ACC.
According to PFN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, Castellanos posted an impact score of 86.5 last season, ranking 18th in the country.
