Some FSU fans get caught up in players making it to the NFL or competing for Heisman Trophies. That's cool, but I'm concerned with winning football games, which brings me to thoughts on how well Thomas Castellanos needs to play for FSU to succeed in 2025.
The more I think about it, the more I put Castellanos in the same category as Notre Dame's Riley Leonard. Leonard's taller but has a similar skill set. Nobody thinks of him as a pocket passer with precision accuracy, but he can hurt you with his legs if you sleep on him.
His numbers for Notre Dame were decent. He threw for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He rushed for another 906 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.
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Those are all numbers that are achievable for Thomas Castellanos. Notre Dame had a good offensive line and running game but also a stingy defense. I expect FSU's defense to be world's improved with Tony White as the defensive coordinator. Honestly, FSU was in games last year until the defensive players knew the offense wasn't going to muster anything.
I expect Gus Malzahn to play to his strengths, which is something Bill O'Brien didn't do last year at Boston College.
If the defense is anywhere near the top 30 or better (White has had back-to-back seasons with top 20 defenses), and special teams are solid? Thomas Castellanos could put up numbers similar to Riley Leonard, and FSU should win at least eight games with no problem.
He's already rushed for over 1,100 yards in a season and threw 18 touchdowns against five interceptions in only eight games last year. He doesn't have to be elite. FSU needs him to avoid turnovers(something Jordan Travis was elite at) and to lead the team.