If you’re in the mood for drama, toughness, and a dash of Tallahassee turmoil, look no further than Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles. A year ago, FSU was an ACC champion, with a 23-4 record over the last two seasons and the type of confidence that had fans believing big things. The Seminoles cratered to 2-10 in 2024, besting but one FBS foe and mounting an offense that, in short, couldn’t get out of its way. Mike Norvell’s magic touch of 2023-24 has now vanished. The 11-win collapse from 13-1 to 2-10 was the largest in AP poll era history among Power 4 teams. Ouch. He answered by blowing up the coaching staff and roster, adding new faces across the board, such as Gus Malzahn as the offensive coordinator and Tony White to coordinate defense.

And on the subject of new faces and new chapters, let’s switch gears and discuss Thomas Castellanos because, in all honesty, this tale is every bit as crazy as FSU’s recent rollercoaster ride. Castellanos, or “Tommy,” as he prefers to be known, caught FSU’s attention way back in 2021, but the ‘Noles assigned him to cornerback, not quarterback. He went to UCF instead and then made his impression at Boston College, where he torched FSU for five touchdowns in the past two seasons. Gus Malzahn has already played him at UCF, so he’s not simply learning a new system; he’s getting back with a coach who knows precisely how to utilize his skill set.

After all the speculations about Tommy, it’s a very rocky thing to say that he is ‘Norvellified.” In the recent episode of FSU Football: Double Fries No Slaw, the host put forward, “He (Mike Norvell) thought Castellanos was going to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football this year.” The other host replies, “Two years ago, I would have been like, okay, I would have been cautiously optimistic, and I still am cautiously optimistic. But last year preseason, he told us that this offensive line was going to be one of the best he’s ever had, and we couldn’t run the ball for a damn.”

Of course, if you’re a fan, you have to believe what your head coach is telling you. However, the O-line performance last year was truly abysmal when it comes to the Seminoles’ rushing game. The offense averaged 2.9 yards/attempt and 89.9 yards/game. To make matters worse, they only had eight touchdowns while running the ball. That’s as poor as it can. So, there’s some context to why Norvell may not be believed.

The host further states, “I do think he [Thomas] has a skill set that really matches Gus Malzahn’s offense, and I really, really like that, but why would you put that kind of pressure on that kid?”

Castellanos is a real dual-threat quarterback: he’s nimble, explosive with his legs, and can make plays on the move, which is the recipe for what Malzahn likes in his scheme. Just look at Malzahn’s top offenses—think Nick Marshall at Auburn or even John Rhys Plumlee at UCF—those types flourished because they were able to keep defenses off balance with both their arms and their legs. Castellanos fits that bill to a T. The host continues, “I don’t know because if you know, if we’re looking at week six and he’s got, you know, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, that’s what’s going to resurface very quickly.”

Florida State fans (and writers) have been down this road before. This past year, FSU’s quarterback play was, well, let’s say “erratic.” DJ Uiagalelei, the large portal signee, couldn’t handle turnovers and inconsistency, and the offense just couldn’t gain momentum. The entire team suffered for it, falling to that nasty 2-10 mark. So if Castellanos gets off to a hot start but begins committing mistakes, more turnovers, old fears, and complaints are going to resurface in a hurry.

Can Florida State close the recruiting gap?

If you thought on-field drama at Florida State was crazy, wait until you hear about their recruiting woes. Mike Norvell has his work cut out for him, and it’s not just about cleaning up the wreckage from last season’s 2-10 debacle; it’s about the future, and currently, the future’s looking uncertain on the recruiting front. FSU was once a recruiting giant. But since that monumental meltdown, the Seminoles are racing to keep pace, and the cracks are beginning to appear. The worst gut blow? Losing their prized QB commit, Brady Smigiel, in January. This kid was to be the 2026 class cannon arm, California cool, all the hype.

Smigiel posted for Michigan, and ever since, FSU’s been playing catch-up. Now they’re pursuing other four-star quarterbacks such as Landon Duckworth and Bowe Bentley, but it’s an uphill battle. SEC behemoths like Georgia, Ole Miss, and LSU are sniffing around, and even Deion Sanders’ Colorado is in the hunt. Without a marquee QB committed, it’s hard to get elite receivers and linemen to climb aboard.

And it’s not all about missing out on quarterbacks. The overall momentum just isn’t there. Sure, FSU’s got some good local four-stars—Efrem White, Amari Thomas, and Darryon Williams—but the vibe is more “treading water” than “making waves.” The bottom line? FSU’s 2026 class is floating somewhere between No. 12 and No. 20 nationally, which sounds fine until you get the feeling the blue bloods are stacking up the top 10 classes and pulling away.

Norvell has taken some splashy actions, hiring Gus Malzahn, rolling the dice on Thomas Castellanos until the ‘Noles can get things turned around quickly on the field and in the recruiting room, the talent deficit is just going to continue to grow.