Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos set to face Miami in season finale

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos avoids a tackle during a touchdown run during a Sept. 23 game at Louisville. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Boston College cashed a winning ticket in the NCAA transfer portal sweepstakes when the Eagles’ secured the services of quarterback Thomas Castellanos from Central Florida.

The 5-10, 196-pound sophomore from Waycross, Ga., added dual threat capabilities to the position that are unavailable to incumbent pocket passer Emmett Morehead, who started against Northern Illinois in the opener and lasted two sets of downs.

Castellanos will make his 12th appearance and 11th start when the Eagles (6-5, 3-4) host the Miami Hurricanes (6-5, 2-5) in the season finale on Friday (noon) at Alumni Stadium. Castellanos has an opportunity to become the third BC quarterback to win seven games in his first season as a starter in this century.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot from the previous year,” said Castellanos. “Obviously I wasn’t playing at (Central Florida) so people say this is my sophomore year but to me it is really my freshman season.

“Looking back at this year I feel I did a pretty good job in my first year playing Power-5 ball. But there is still a lot of room to grow and as the season goes on with two more games to play, I feel I can be better.”

BC is already bowl eligible and could climb to the third tier of the ACC bowl structure with a win over the Hurricanes. BC could register seven overall wins for the first time since 2018 and four conference victories for the first time since 2020. BC hasn’t closed out a season with a win since beating Syracuse 42-14 in 2017.

“We definitely want to go in there and get this win,” said Castellanos. “I feel that a win against these guys, even though we have the same record, means a lot to this program and to us.”

While making an impact on the BC program, Castellanos has gotten the attention of FBS statisticians. Castellanos has rushed for 827 yards and is within striking distance of the BC record of 1,184 set by Tyler Murphy in 2014. Murphy was a graduate transfer from Florida who had a previous relationship in Gainesville, Fla., with former BC head coach Steve Addazio.

Castellanos also has 1,995 passing yards, placing him second in FBS behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels (3,577 and 1,014) among quarterbacks with over 1,800 yards passing and 700 rushing. Daniels’ exploits of late have landed him on the Heisman Trophy short list.

Castellanos (2,882) is 10th all-time at BC for total yards in a season and should reach the top five in the final two games. All 10 of the players on that list are quarterbacks, with three named Doug Flutie and two named Matt Ryan.

“The film study that I put in with the coaches and stuff like that have helped me grow not just as a quarterback but as a leader,” said Castellanos. “I know how to see my receivers in certain coverages and stuff like that.”