Brutal illegal hit knocks FSU football QB Tommy Castellanos out of Stanford loss

Castellanos was forced to exit the game in the fourth quarter.

Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) warms up before a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State is on a four-game losing streak for the second time in as many years.

To make things worse, the Seminoles saw starting quarterback Tommy Castellanos go down late in the defeat to Stanford, leading to questions surrounding his status moving forward.

READ MORE: FSU football hits new low after ugly loss to Stanford

Castellanos was guiding FSU on a potential game-tying drive. Following an electric scramble into the red zone, the senior signal-caller took a brutal illegal hit while trying to slide.

The collision led to Stanford's Mitch Leigber being ejected from the contest.

FSU QB Tommy Castellanos Knocked Out Of Loss To Stanford

Oct 18, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) throws the football during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Leighber flew in with a headshot as Castellanos was giving himself up. Castellanos remained motionless on the field for a few moments.

Head coach Mike Norvell and trainers rushed out to his aid. Castellanos was ultimately able to stand up and walk into the medical tent on the sideline. A short time later, he went back into the locker room and did not return.

Tommy Castellanos just took a brutal shot on his run. He’s moving which is a good sign but man that was scary. pic.twitter.com/39I3VrQafl

— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) October 19, 2025

Castellanos finished his night by completing 14/28 passes for 242 yards while rushing 14 times for 33 yards and a touchdown.

True freshman quarterback Kevin Sperry entered in relief of Castellanos. On his first possession, an intentional grounding penalty put the Seminoles in 4th and 18, leading to a turnover on downs.

Sperry provided a spark on Florida State's final drive. He rushed for 15 yards before finding Lawayne McCoy for 15 yards and Micahi Danzy for 53 yards to give the Seminoles a chance.

Ultimately, Gavin Sawchuk was stopped inches short of the end zone, depending on how you view the play. Regardless, it's a loss for Florida State in the standings.

Plus, it's unclear how this will affect Castellanos moving forward. He was already battling through an ankle injury before this latest ailment.

In recent weeks, Florida State's offense hasn't looked like the unit that beat Alabama and put up a combined 143 points against East Texas A&M and Kent. The Seminoles' 13 points were a season-low against a Stanford defense that came into the night allowing over 30 points per game, to drive home the nail.

Norvell didn't provide an update on Castellanos following the game. The Seminoles will have a week off before returning to action against Wake Forest on Saturday, November 1.

In seven games this season, Castellanos has completed 100/166 passes for 1,607 yards with nine touchdowns to five interceptions. He's added 79 carries for 319 yards and four more scores.

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READ MORE: Mike Norvell delivers message to frustrated FSU football fans after 3rd straight loss

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