Tommy Castellanos draws heat from former FSU QB for Alabama jab

Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos has seemingly riled the college football media world by calling out Alabama at perhaps one of the worst possible times, as the dog days of the offseason have the sports media foaming at the mouth for storylines.

Earlier in the week, Castellanos spoke with On3's Pete Nakos and showed no lack of confidence when discussing FSU's season opener on August 30 against the Crimson Tide, while stating that Alabama wasn't the same without head coach Nick Saban.

While multiple players and media personalities have responded publicly, former Florida State quarterback Danny Kanell chimed in, criticizing not only the timing but the idea of stirring the pot and "kicking the hornet's nest."

“Coach Bowden used to always tell us specifically around Miami and Florida week, he’d be like, ‘All right, there’s going to be a bunch of media attention," Kanell said. "Let’s make sure we’re only saying nice things about the opponent. Don’t give them anything to fuel their fire. Don’t give them any bullets, more material. You know, I guess it’s so early in the offseason you don’t think it could happen, and the week of the game, you’re a little bit more careful. "

New Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos created a stir yesterday when he said he wasn't worried about Alabama now that Nick Saban is gone.@dannykanell tells @DustyDvoracek the pressure has now multiplied on Castellanos and the Noles for Week 1. pic.twitter.com/oQQ0VXqK7T
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) June 24, 2025

Kanell has participated in numerous high-profile matchups and is no stranger to the hype and eagerness to win. From a strategic standpoint, however, giving the opponent extra motivation in the offseason is never a good idea in his eyes.

“Why give them any added motivation? If anything, you want a sneak attack. You want them to overlook you and think you’re not good, as opposed to ‘uh oh,’ which woke them up a little bit. He kicked the hornet’s nest, if you will. That’s what Tommy Castellanos just did," Kanell continued. "He kicked the hornet’s nest. And he’s about to find out if he can run away from them or not.”

However, a win at home as 12.5-point underdogs would go a long way toward quieting the noise. Having a former FSU quarterback and current CBS Sports analyst questioning the move before the team even takes the field isn’t an ideal look.

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