FSU football's Tommy Castellanos denied extra year of eligibility

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Florida State football quarterback Tommy Castellanos was denied a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

He is now appealing, according to attorney Darren Heitner,

Castellanos transferred from Boston College, where he played for two seasons before joining FSU. He started his career at UCF, where he appeared in five games in 2022, including against Tulane in the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Heitner will represent Castellanos in seeking his eligibility. He posted a statement on his X account in fighting for Castellanos’ player’s waiver.

“Honored to represent QB Tommy Castellanos in his fight for an additional year of eligibility after the NCAA denied his waiver request. The facts are straightforward. Tommy’s 2022 participation exceeded the 30 percent threshold by just one postseason game. It was a conference championship where he played only because of circumstances beyond his control, including teammate injuries and opt-outs. Just weeks after Tommy’s participation, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver allowing future players in his exact situation to maintain their redshirt status. Players today can participate in 4 regular-season games plus a conference championship without losing eligibility. Tommy played in a conference championship game and is being penalized for the timing. Considering the postseason exception that now exists, this case demands a fair resolution. The NCAA should grant this appeal and extend the same consideration to Tommy that countless players have received since December 2022. Fairness matters. Doing the right thing matters.

Castellanos started every game for the Seminoles. He completed 180 of his 309 passes for 2,760 yards, which is a career high, and 15 touchdowns. He also led the Seminoles in with 557 rushing yards and nine scores. FSU finished the year 5-7.

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football Tommy Castellanos to appeal NCAA after denied eligibility

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