‘They don’t have Nick Saban to save them’: Star QB of Alabama's Week 1 opponent calls out Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide
There aren't as many rivalries or trash-talking in college football anymore as players swap programs as often as pro players do. When a star player does speak up, it's rarely a quarterback of an out-of-conference team. That's why a quote from Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos about the state of the Alabama Crimson Tide stood […]
There aren't as many rivalries or trash-talking in college football anymore as players swap programs as often as pro players do. When a star player does speak up, it's rarely a quarterback of an out-of-conference team.
That's why a quote from Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos about the state of the Alabama Crimson Tide stood out this week. The junior quarterback arrived in Tallahassee this offseason after being a questionable fit with Bill O'Brien at Boston College in 2024. He's on his third program in his four seasons.
He's set to lead the new-look Seminoles into a Week 1 showdown against the Tide. Alabama is a two-score favorite despite not having a starting quarterback named and the game being at Doak Campbell Stadium. Despite that, Castellanos thinks the Tide are nothing to fear with Kalen DeBoer heading the team instead of Nick Saban.
“I’m excited, man,” he said. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.
I feel like I tore the ACC up by my damn self for the last two years, and now I’m with a squad," he continued. "I hope people don’t think that Florida State is going to be the same team it was last year because we have weapons. People can’t just sit back in zone coverage and watch me.”
Castellanos started out his stint under O'Brien in 2024 well enough, scoring three times against the Seminoles in Week 1. The Eagles ran to a 3-1 record before the team fell apart, and Castellanos' inconsistent passing ability eventually stalled the offense, and the program was ready to move on.
Alabama can look at Castellanos' career 58.6% completion rate, 19 interceptions, and 7.3 yards per attempt average and see a lot of similarities to the limitations Jalen Milroe had as their own quarterback. Castellano isn't nearly as good a passer or runner, though, so this is a bold call out.
While Castellanos can swing a game with his legs, as shown when he carved up defenses for 1,113 yards and 13 scores in 2023 before bottling that ability in 2024, can the Seminoles create those opportunities for him against a physical and experienced Tide defense?
The confidence he projected in this matchup is awesome, but this is something Kalen DeBoer can post in the Tide's locker room right away. He's right that Saban is long gone, and last year's Tide had a lot of issues that Saban never experienced during his long tenure.
But DeBoer is recruiting extremely well, and there's no reason to think this Tide team won't at least match Florida State's intensity, physical abilities, and toughness. If they don't, then Castellanos might be right, and DeBoer would face an immense amount of pressure he starts the 2025 season 0-1.
