Pitt Defense Preparing for Versatile Florida State QB

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers defense will have a handful with Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos this weekend.

Castellanos is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback, standing at 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds. He has 1,120 passing yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions, completed 61% of his passes and has 57 rushes for 274 yards and four touchdowns.

This is the first true dual-threat Pitt will face this season, but it isn't the first time facing Castellanos.

When Pitt hosted Boston College in 2023, the Panthers were 2-8 at the time, and the defense held Castellanos to 13 of 25 passing for 171 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He only had 17 carries for 21 yards on the ground.

"He was a talented kid back then, he's a talented kid still," safeties coach Corey Sanders said.

In that game, Pitt had success limiting Castellanos to just the pocket with the defensive ends setting the edge, the linebackers playing gap sound and the secondary preventing big pass plays.

Defensive end Dayon Hayes was the star defensive end containing Castellanos when he made six tackles, three for a loss, two sacks and batted down two passes in the 24-16 win at home.

Nov 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Dayon Hayes (50) sacks Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Two years later and Castellanos is in his first season in Tallahassee, where he caught the entire country's attention when he led the Seminoles to a huge Week 1 31-17 win over No. 8 Alabama.

"He's got talent around him," Pat Narduzzi said. "His athletic ability hasn't changed. He was athletic and scrambled all over the place in the past. He's doing the same thing. He can make plays with his feet."

Castellanos was always known as an uber-athletic playmaker who could make big plays on the gridiron. This year, he has done it more as a passer.

Castellanos is averaging a career high 16.0 yards per completion and is the No. 2 quarterback in the nation in the category, just behind USC's Jayden Maiava at 16.19 yards per completion.

"We have to do a good job in our different zones and coverages of making sure that we latch on to receivers and we don't get lazy for a second, because that ball can come at you any time," Sanders said.

Castellanos' favorite target downfield has been 6-foot-6 wide receiver Duce Robinson. Robinson leads the Seminoles with 23 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns. He is the No. 18 receiver in total yards and yards per game in the country.

"He's gonna run a comeback, he's going to get thrown back-shoulder fades at 6-foot-6," Narduzzi said. "We don't have any 6-foot-5 corners. He's really talented. He's got great eye-hand coordination, makes tough contested catches."

The good news for Pitt is that Castellanos' play has dropped off over the last two games. Florida State lost 46-38 in overtime to Virginia in Charlottesville and then 28-22 to No. 3 Miami at home last week.

In the first three games versus the Crimson Tide, East Texas A&M and Kent State, Castellanos completed 71% of his passes for 594 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry and scored three times.

Against the Cavaliers and the Hurricanes, Castellanos completed 56% of his passes for 526 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions, while averaging 4.5 yards per carry and finding the end zone once on the ground.

The key for the Pitt defense is to keep Castellanos contained in the pocket and to defend the deep ball. However, it may be more difficult to do that without defensive ends Blaine Spires, Jaeden Moore, Zach Crothers and Joey Zelinsky.

At that point, it's the entire defense's responsibility to bring down Castellanos and prevent him from dashing around Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

"The stress is on the D line to make sure he doesn't get past them," Narduzzi said. "Then it gets to the linebackers, and it just trickles downhill. It goes to everybody. So, I think anybody who's on the field, it's their responsibility to get him down."

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