FSU's Tommy Castellanos Defends Alabama Trash Talk, 'We Stand on What I Said'

Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos is not backing down from the digs he made toward Alabama ahead of the two teams' season-opening matchup on Aug. 30.

When asked on Wednesday if he wished he would have "said some things differently," Castellanos answered: "Most definitely, but I stand on— we stand on what I said, so. I said what I said. We stand on that."

Castellanos continued, "I don't mean no disrespect to none of those guys at Alabama, or anything like that. It's just I have confidence in my guys, and the work we've been putting in and preparing, and the preparation we've been putting together. That's all that was. No disrespect to those guys, but we stand on what I said."

Castellanos originally said in an interview published June 23 by On3's Pete Nakos that he was excited to play an Alabama program that doesn't "have Nick Saban to save them," adding: "I just don't see them stopping me."

"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," Castellanos told Nakos.

Castellanos continued, “And then the ACC. I feel like I tore the ACC up by my damn self for the last two years, and now I’m with a squad. 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 established himself as one of the top rushing threats among college quarterbacks during his sophomore 2023 season with Boston College, during which he became the first Eagles signal caller to surpass 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season.

But Castellanos struggled with injuries early during the 2024 campaign, then was benched by BC head coach Bill O'Brien in November after going 2-for-7 with an interception against Syracuse in his eighth start of the season.

Castellanos also criticized O'Brien and the BC program in his June interview with Nakos, telling the On3 reporter that he "did so much for that program, and I did everything that I could, and I just wasn’t repaid the right way.”

The quarterback is now looking to start off his first season with Florida State with what he has said working to build into a rivalry matchup between the Seminoles and Crimson Tide.

Castellanos told Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton in a workout video shared last week by Deion Sanders Jr.'s Well Off Media that he was trying to make the game take place on "the biggest stage possible."

"Those boys coming off of 2-10. I just had to install some confidence, you feel me? That's all I'm trying to do," Castellanos told Horton.

Whatever Castellanos' motivation for expressing doubt about Kalen DeBoer's program, multiple Alabama players including linebacker Deontae Lawson and defensive lineman Tim Keenan III have indicated the quarterback's comments are providing extra motivation for the Crimson Tide ahead of the season-opening matchup.

Alabama and Florida State are set to kick off on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.