After a great 13-0 regular season and winning the ACC championship in 2023, FSU’s 2024 season ended up being a total train wreck, finishing with a staggering 2-10 record. It was pretty shocking, especially since they still had a lot of talent on the team, even after losing 10 players to the NFL Draft. After an undefeated run, Mike Norvell signed a big contract extension but suddenly found himself under a lot of pressure. To turn things around, he revamped his coaching staff, hit the transfer portal hard—bringing in former Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos and a couple of solid wide receivers—and fired off a passionate message about getting back on track.

And discuss an opportunity to turn the script around—FSU’s opening game in 2025 is a doozy: Alabama visits Tallahassee on August 31. Norvell is excited about the matchup, calling it a “great opener” and the perfect platform to showcase to the nation that Florida State is ready to move forward. The hype is not just hype: Doak Campbell Stadium will be electric and newly renovated for $265 million. The Seminoles have an opportunity for redemption right out of the starting gate. But first, let’s hear what On3’s J.D. PicKell has to say about this battle.

“You got Alabama going to Tallahassee to play Florida State right now.” That’s the way PicKell begins this podcast. With a bang! Man, the buzz over Florida State’s season opener against Alabama is no joke. This game is not just huge—it’s a statement game. FSU has the opportunity to erase the memory of last season’s debacle and for Mike Norvell to demonstrate that the Seminoles have rejuvenated.

Now straight in the middle of the pressure cooker? New quarterback Thomas Castellanos. PicKell says, “The kind of quarterback that gave Alabama trouble a year ago is exactly the same kind of quarterback that Florida State’s rolling with here with Tommy Castellanos.”

Alabama’s defense, despite all the talent, has struggled to contain mobile, dual-threat quarterbacks—guys who can damage you as much with their legs as with their arms. Last season, Bama struggled against quarterbacks like Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold, who torched them for 131 rushing yards. Nico Iamaleava and Diego Pavia also exploited their athleticism to keep the Tide off balance. Castellanos is the same kind of threat. At Boston College, he gained a reputation for his explosive running skills, amassing over 1,366 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns last season, making him one of the most productive rushing quarterbacks in the nation.

PicKell says, “That’s not me telling you that Florida State has a quarterback advantage; that’s not me telling you that I’m buying all the Tommy Castellanos stock I can find.” Now, he’s keeping it real and managing expectations. He’s not blindly hyping Castellanos as some guaranteed game-changer just yet. Instead, he’s saying, “I like the way he fits the system, I like Gus Malzahn, I like a lot about this. He still has to go out there and prove it.”

College football is rife with hype trains that occasionally crash and burn. Castellanos has the complete arsenal: mobility, arm ability, and an ideal fit in Gus Malzahn’s offense, which is QB-friendly and engineered to get playmakers in motion. Malzahn’s system is built on fast reads, run-pass options, and utilizing a QB’s legs to keep defenses off balance—just what Castellanos offers. FSU’s coming off a gut-wrenching season, and Castellanos is entering into a gigantic spotlight playing against a behemoth like Alabama off the bat. It’s easy to be flashy in practice or on highlight tapes; it’s another thing to deliver under that sort of pressure in front of a rowdy crowd against an elite defense.

“What if Bama gets up 10-0? What if Bama gets up, dare I say, 14-0? Do we have enough firepower to actually match that?” Now that’s a very concerning question by PicKell. It’s an extremely real concern for Florida State fans entering this opener. PicKell’s highlighting a potential weakness for FSU’s offense under Gus Malzahn and Tommy Castellanos.

Malzahn’s system, and the way FSU is built right now, is all about running the football. They want to control the clock, wear down defenses, and set up the pass by pounding the rock. That’s great when you’re playing with a lead or in a tight game. But if Alabama comes out hot and jumps ahead by two scores early, suddenly the whole game script flips. Now you’re forced to throw more, play faster, and try to score in bunches—something this FSU team hasn’t exactly proven it can do yet.

Why did Thomas Castellanos need a new system?

Thomas Castellanos’ path from Boston College to Florida State is one of those great college football narratives where a change of setting could just unlock an entirely new level. He had some jaw-dropping stats for any quarterback, much less one in a BC offense that, let’s be honest, wasn’t necessarily designed for pyrotechnics. The guy was the spark plug, the individual who could create something from nothing, making defensive coordinators shred their game plans in-game. But this is the thing: the fit just wasn’t there. Bill O’Brien, BC’s head coach, likes nothing more than pro-style, old-school offense—think pocket passing, grind-it-out drives, and less freelancing.

Castellanos, however, excels at creativity, swift decision-making, and employing his legs as much as his arms. It was attempting to drive a square peg into a round hole. Therefore, when Castellanos struck the portal and ended up at Florida State, it caused ripples for a reason. FSU’s scheme under Mike Norvell is much more accommodating to his offense, run-heavy, with plenty of space for the QB to create on the run and throw deep when the defense commits.

Analysts such as Kenton Gibbs even went so far as to express, “Well, in that case, that sounds like, like you said, both parties are better, but I want to, in particular, look at Thomas Castellanos is better without Bill O’Brien. I have said this a million times, and I’m gonna keep saying it here today.”

Now, the pressure’s on. Castellanos isn’t a transfer looking to get a chance—he’s slated to start, to take the lead, and to show the world that the problems he had last season were the fault of the system, not his skills. ESPN’s David Hale even listed him as one of the most interesting QBs in the nation, placing him in the same class as players who are all seeking redemption after a disappointing 2024.