FSU football starting quarterback Thomas Castellanos has already made headlines earlier in the offseason for some comments he made about FSU’s opponent in the 2025 season opener. I didn’t see anything wrong with his comments then.
He correctly stated that Alabama wasn’t the same Alabama led by Nick Saban. Saban retired, and Alabama won fewer games under first-year head coach Kalen Deboer than they had in the previous decade under Saban, including two bad losses against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
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Castellanos spoke with the media following Wednesday's practice and made a comment that made some FSU fans raise their eyebrows:
"I think Coach White and our defense is the hardest defense I'll see all year, just because schematically and stuff like that and what they do. It's hard...to be back there and a lot of moving parts on their end. You know, it's helped me a lot, and helped me be better, and helped me progress as a quarterback and as a player. When to take the check down, when to eat it, or just throw it away and to know when the play is over. Seeing them every day for the last three weeks has helped me progress as a quarterback."
Jordan Travis only threw for 155 yards on 21 completions in the 2022 game when Syracuse was already dealing with several injuries late in the season. It’s a defense that can disguise things and make a quarterback hold the ball an extra second or two.
They can line up in a 4-3, 3-4, or 3-3-5, and bring pressure from different places. There might be better defenses he'll face, but schematically, the FSU defense could arguably be the most difficult to prepare for, especially if you’re not accustomed to seeing a 3-3-5 defense.
The challenge for Tony White will be how much can he expand on his base defense, and how well they can execute certain looks or blitzes. I expect some hiccups early, but they should be more locked in by the time the Virginia game.