Why Thomas Castellanos is the perfect fit for Texas Tech
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thomas castellanos to texas tech?
Florida State transfer QB Thomas Castellanos was just granted a fifth year of eligibility, and he is expected to end up as a Red Raider. I have seen a lot of mixed reactions online, but I want to let you know this is the perfect fit for the Red Raiders.
I think this should go without saying, but Will Hammond is undoubtedly the starting quarterback for Texas Tech this season. The coaching staff already made it official. The addition of Thomas Castellanos is an insurance policy in the event of Hammond getting injured. The coaching staff has no plans on starting Castellanos this season.
smart decision from hc joey mcguire
So why is this the perfect fit for Texas Tech? Well, after the loss of QB Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech's QB room is extremely thin. The plan was for Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis to be the 3rd string quarterback behind both Sorsby and Hammond, but after the departure of Sorsby, he became QB2. Francis is a capable backup, but you can never have too many quarterbacks on your roster.
Let's talk about what Castellanos actually brings. This isn't a courtesy roster spot. Last season at Florida State, he threw for 2,760 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 557 yards and nine scores on the ground, and he was the guy who upset #8 Alabama in Week 1. Go back to his Boston College tape and you'll find a sophomore season with over 1,100 rushing yards. He's a dual-threat playmaker who has now played meaningful snaps at three different Power Four-caliber programs. Castellanos immediately makes this one of the deeper QB rooms in the country, and he may be the best backup QB on any team.
And here's the part that should ease the mixed reactions: Hammond is walking into this season coming off a torn ACL. The staff is confident in him, and he's earned that confidence. But quarterback is the one position where "we're fine" can change in a single snap. Depth at that spot isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. After watching Sorsby's situation blow up the room from the inside in a matter of weeks, Texas Tech has learned how important it is to have multiple starting caliber QBs. Adding a player with Castellanos' résumé as the fallback option is exactly the kind of move that looks smart in September and looks essential in November.
This isn't Texas Tech or Joey McGuire doubting Hammond. This is Texas Tech refusing to get caught short again.
Whenever Castellanos officially commits to Texas Tech, Red Raider nation should be ecstatic.
