QB Tommy Castellanos made an immediate impact and helped FSU beat the ranked Alabama. But the 22-year-old couldn’t lead them against rivals Gators and lost their bowl eligibility. After the game, his debated future once again came to light, and the wordplay during the statement was evident.

Talking to the media, the Seminoles’ QB was quick enough to shed light on how he played his best game of the year. But it wasn’t enough as Mike Norvell’s side suffered its 10th consecutive road loss.

“Season has come to an end, “Castellanos said. “They got a chance to get it right next year and find the right guys.”

The ‘they’ used here is the biggest giveaway the fans weren’t expecting. His eligibility for the coming season has always been a question.

“Yeah, I hope to be here, but I don’t know what the future holds.”

Castellanos said during the post-game when asked about his return to Tallahassee. This is Castellanos’ last season of eligibility because he played in five games as a true freshman at UCF in 2022, two seasons at Boston College, and one at FSU. But that fifth game was in the ACC Championship Game. A rule change in 2022 meant, playing in those games no longer counted against a player’s eligibility.

The NCAA waiver he needs isn’t guaranteed, which made his return a mystery, but now that accidental slip-up actually makes sense. He says he’s all-in on FSU and living out his dream-school career. But if that’s true, why does he keep sounding unsure?

Sure, Thomas Castellanos played tough for FSU in 2025. How? He made immense plays with his arm and his legs, and put up 557 rushing yards with 9 touchdowns in 12 games. But man, the inconsistencies were hard to ignore. Reports out of fall camp said Castellanos was “incredibly inconsistent,” and that pretty much carried into the season.

Turnovers kept biting him along with a red-zone fumble against Clemson, two picks against NC State, and even in the Florida game he calls his “best,” he still had a fumble and an interception. Analysts pointed out that FSU’s offense under Gus Malzahn actually worked better when Castellanos didn’t have to throw much. But in a bunch of games, especially the losses, he had no choice.

Against Clemson, for example, he threw 43 times in an attempt to spark a comeback that never happened. One of the biggest problems was how flat they started, especially on offense. They didn’t score a single point in the first quarter of their five road games this season. Even HC had no choice but to accept the defeat.

Mike Norvell’s apology after loss to the Gators

Florida State’s loss to Florida was a tough one, ending their season 5-7. Despite Tommy Castellanos throwing two touchdowns and Lawayne McCoy posting 117 receiving yards, the Seminoles couldn’t keep up once Florida pulled away. The loss was as embarrassing as head coach Mike Norvell was seen apologizing as the Seminoles missed out on a bowl game.

“Right now, just coming out of the game, obviously, we’ve got to be better, and we’ve got to be drastically better from what we’ve shown,” he said. “There’s a time and place for all that, and we’ll get to that here soon.”

The fans, obviously frustrated, were demanding a coaching change for the longest time. The game was a tough pill to swallow, especially since it was a must-win for the Seminoles. Norvell was brutally honest about coaching and execution. He said they made too many mistakes, couldn’t sustain clean, complementary football, and lacked consistency.

It was a mix of new coordinators, young players, and challenging moments, outweighing flashes of promise. What’s really telling is that Norvell’s promise for a “quick fix” didn’t pan out. He acknowledged that further changes are needed soon. Recently, the program confirmed the coach would return for the seventh season. Now it remains whether the NCAA’s ruling will allow their QB Tommy Castellanos to return.