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Thomas Castellanos found a new home. The former Florida State quarterback has signed with Texas Tech out of the transfer portal, and the timing here matters a lot.
Just days before his commitment, a Kentucky judge granted a temporary injunction in an eligibility lawsuit involving Castellanos and former Missouri basketball standout Mark Mitchell. That injunction turns out to be pretty important for his football future.
Because Castellanos already has that injunction in place, he won’t be touched by the newer ruling out of Colorado. That Colorado case stripped eligibility from qualified athletes in the Class of 2022; Castellanos avoids that mess entirely thanks to his earlier legal protection.
The Big 12’s New Rule Doesn’t Apply to Him Either
Here’s where it gets interesting for Texas Tech fans specifically. The Big 12 Conference unanimously passed a rule barring schools from fielding athletes who’ve gone pro. Castellanos technically dipped his toes into professional football, he took part in the Miami Dolphins’ rookie minicamp back in May as a wide receiver.
But he went undrafted. He never signed a contract with Miami.
That distinction matters. A league spokesperson confirmed to CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson that Castellanos remains eligible to play this fall because he never officially turned pro. No contract, no problem, at least as far as the Big 12’s new rule is concerned.
The conference actually made its announcement on Wednesday, just hours after Castellanos committed to Texas Tech. That timing wasn’t a coincidence. The move came right after both the SEC and Big Ten enacted their own bans targeting the wave of former pro athletes trying to work their way back into college football.
Castellanos isn’t some unknown name jumping into a new situation blind. Last season at Florida State, after transferring in from Boston College, he completed 58.3% of his passes for 2,760 yards, threw 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions, and added 557 rushing yards with nine more touchdowns on the ground.
He’s the guy who led Florida State’s stunning upset over Alabama in Week 1 last year, too.
At Texas Tech, though, don’t expect him to walk into a starting job right away. He’ll likely serve as the backup behind Will Hammond, at least to start. The Red Raiders enter this season as the heavy favorites to win the Big 12, so Castellanos joins a program with real expectations attached.
Castellanos Isn’t Alone in This Legal Fight
This eligibility battle stretches well beyond one quarterback. Earlier this month, a Louisiana court granted a TRO (temporary restraining order) to 16 former college football players, clearing them to keep playing despite the eligibility rulings sweeping through college sports.
That group includes former LSU edge rusher Jack Pyburn and former James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick. Ole Miss saw three of its own caught up in this too: Dae’Quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and Wydett Williams. SMU running back TJ Harden rounds out that list.
Lane Kiffin and LSU are reportedly trying to sign both Wright and Harris.
That pursuit just got a lot more complicated. The SEC’s decision this week to bar former players from returning could set up another legal fight, and honestly, it probably will. Between the Big 12, SEC and Big Ten all moving to close this loophole, schools and players alike are heading toward more courtroom battles before this eligibility saga wraps up.
