There are quarterbacks who glide through fall camp like it\u2019s a stroll on the beach; Thomas Castellanos<\/b> is not one of them. His camp has started with talks of being \u201cincredibly inconsistent\u201d and is going up, down, maybe in a spiral. But lately, as the season looms, you see that confidence creeping in. He\u2019s making reads quicker, his feet aren\u2019t as jittery, and a few good throws have even coaxed applause from coaches. But football is the world\u2019s greatest team sport, and as the camp nears its end, a question bubbles up in Tallahassee: can Castellanos really do it alone?<\/p>\n
Now, as much as Castellanos wants to fulfill his vow to take down Alabama (with a certain coach now gone, bless retirement), those crimson boys aren\u2019t lining up for a seven-on-seven session. They want to make him pay for every word he\u2019s uttered, especially with their defensive line out for blood and glory. Castellanos may be getting better, but his supporting cast, especially at wide receiver and along the offensive line, is as unsettled as a \u2018Who\u2019s Starting?\u2019 bingo card. You want bravado against Bama? You\u2019d better protect that bravado with helmets and knees kept intact.<\/p>\n
Coach Mike Norvell<\/b> didn\u2019t hide the situation during practice interviews. \u201cI think that there\u2019s still some battles, just exactly what\u2019s going to look like\u2026 there at the receiver position. We got a really good sense of the kind of the top guys, what that\u2019s looking like. But who\u2019s going to also be able to get out there and be able to make the impact within that group?\u201d Norvell said, sounding like a chef who knows his steak is cooked but isn\u2019t quite sure about the sides yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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And about those sides, let\u2019s talk injuries. Squirrel White<\/b>, somehow always dinged up, will \u201cprobably be limited here this next week,\u201d said Norvell, though the expectation is he suits up for Alabama. Gavin Blackwell,<\/b> a North Carolina import and likely WR3, has just returned from his own setback, but Tim Harris Jr. <\/b>noted, \u201cToday, you wouldn\u2019t have known that he missed some time.\u201d Nice boost, but any missed reps at this point hurt, especially when your team is figuring out who\u2019s catching bullets from Castellanos against a defensive backfield trained to feast.<\/p>\n
The biggest concern? Norvell doesn\u2019t have his first five set yet in the O-line. He likes OL versatility. \u201cGetting [Jacob] Rizy back is huge. I think that adds such a great component to the competition. And you know, we\u2019re still working to see who\u2019s going to be the first five as we kick off there in August.\u201d For Castellanos, a QB who\u2019s happiest when running, not knowing who\u2019s paving his escape routes is a recipe for chaos. And the stakes? Alabama\u2019s defensive line, led by LT Overton<\/b> (All-SEC, preseason 2nd team) and deep with talent, is one of the nastiest units in the nation, built to chase down mobile QBs and, frankly, punish them.<\/p>\n
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You know what comes next? The punchline. Castellanos ran his mouth, but will he run for his life? Florida State\u2019s camp picture is half-sculpted right now. Talent everywhere, answers nowhere. Castellanos may be ready to walk the talk, but with an unclear starting OL and nicked-up receivers, every step could be supervised by Alabama\u2019s hungry D-line. Now let\u2019s see if he delivers the show or gets swallowed by the smoke. Keep your popcorn handy, because this opener\u2019s got all the drama Tallahassee can muster.<\/a><\/p>\n Castellanos\u2019 fall camp rollercoaster<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that Thomas Castellanos has been an adventure under center this fall, sometimes dazzling, sometimes downright puzzling. Florida State fans hoping for instant fireworks after his iconic \u201cno Nick Saban to save them\u201d jab have watched as Castellanos has struggled more than anyone expected to mesh with Gus Malzahn\u2019s<\/b> playbook and his new cast of teammates. ESPN\u2019s Greg McElroy<\/b> summed it up best as he said, \u201cIt\u00a0sounds like right now he\u2019s a little bit not playing as well as he\u2019s capable of playing.\u201d That\u2019s not exactly confidence-inspiring with Alabama looming.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n