In the wake of a recent court ruling, well-traveled quarterback Tommy Castellanos committed to Texas Tech on Wednesday.
Castellanos wasn’t selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and participated in the Miami Dolphins’ rookie minicamp as a receiver in May.
However, a Kentucky judge granted a temporary injunction on Friday that gave 10 athletes, including Castellanos, a fifth year of NCAA eligibility. All of the plaintiffs are part of the high school Class of 2022, a group that wasn’t covered retroactively in the NCAA’s eligibility switch to five seasons over a five-year window.
Castellanos has played four seasons — one at UCF (2022), two at Boston College (2023-24) and last season at Florida State.
He has passed for 6,449 yards and 48 touchdowns against 28 interceptions. Last season, He passed for a career-high 2,760 yards for the Seminoles while having 15 TD passes and nine interceptions.
Castellanos also has rushed for 1,984 yards and 24 touchdowns. In 2023, he ran for 1,113 yards and 13 scores at Boston College.
Texas Tech initially added Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati to be its quarterback in 2026 but those plans were derailed by Sorsby’s gambling issues and ensuing legal sparring with the NCAA and Big 12 over his eligibility. Sorsby eventually pursued the NFL supplemental draft but the league elected not to hold one.
Will Hammond is expected to start Texas Tech’s opener against Abilene Christian on Sept. 5. Hammond sustained a torn ACL last October and missed the rest of the season.
Hammond has passed for 1,151 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions in two seasons with the Red Raiders.
The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference enacted rules Tuesday that prevent players who have been with NFL teams from returning to college and playing for one of their programs. The Big 12 doesn’t have such a rule as of Wednesday.