Mike Norvell backs Tommy Castellanos after multiple Alabama call-outs: 'I'm grateful for who he is'

New Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos has provided Alabama plenty of bulletin board material this offseason ahead of their much-anticipated season-opener in Tallahassee on Aug. 30. Castellanos first raised eyebrows in late June when he told On3’s Pete Nakos the likely preseason Top 10-ranked Crimson Tide won’t be able to stop him because “they don’t have Nick Saban to save them.”

The former Boston College and UCF transfer has since doubled- and tripled-down on those comments, including most recently Wednesday morning on the second day of the 2025 ACC Kickoff Media Days in Charlotte. And while most college football coaches generally loathe their players providing an upcoming opponent unnecessary bulletin board material, Florida State‘s Mike Norvell defended his quarterback’s actions and heaped praise on Castellanos for his confidence and work ethic since landing in Tallahassee.

“Well I watched the work. I believe in Tommy, I believe in our football team. Anybody can get on a microphone and say whatever they want to say. And Tommy is a very respectful young man that’s put in the work, has had his own journey and experiences, and I know his heart when it comes to it. So, I’m grateful for who he is and what he’s all about. And that’s what I told him (after the comments),” Norvell said on the ACC Network set Wednesday morning. “We’re not here to try to speak ourselves into a victory, we’re trying to go earn a victory. And you better show up every single day and let’s go be what we’re capable of being. And if we’ll do that, the rest will take care of itself. But, it’s kind of what I said in the press conference earlier, I don’t want a football team (full of) a bunch of sidekicks to see who’s going to step up. I want guys that are willing to step up and go be it.

“And when you’re willing to do that and you’re willing to uphold it with actions rather than just the words, then you have a chance to do something pretty special,” Norvell continued. “And Tommy has put in the work. From the very first day he got here, it’s been a great journey and I love his investment into his teammates and his belief in what they can do and what we can be.”

Tommy Castellanos triples down on viral Alabama comments: ‘We stand on what I said’

Tommy Castellanos made ears perk across college football with some comments about Alabama. The Florida State quarterback is confident in his team getting the job done against Kalen DeBoer‘s team on Aug. 30. Castellanos even beamed with confidence when training with Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton.

Now, a triple-down has come with the backing of his teammates. Castellanos was asked about the viral moment Wednesday at ACC Football Kickoff, once again boasting confidence in the original quote.

“We stand on what I said,” Castellanos said via On3 | Rivals’ Warchant. “I said what I said and we stand on that. I don’t mean no disrespect to none of those guys at Alabama or nothing like that. It was just I have confidence in my guys, the work we’ve been putting in, preparing, and the preparation we’ve been putting together. So, that’s all that was. No disrespect to those guys but we stand on what I said.”

In the moment with Horton, Castellanos originally tells him, “y’all boys going to see.” Just a few moments later, he explained the goal in saying what he said was to instill confidence in his teammates. Florida is fresh off a 2-10 season and now welcomes a likely preseason top 10 or five team to Tallahassee. Castellanos believes some motivation would go a long way.

His bulletin board material aside, expectations are already high for Castellanos and the Seminoles, who are eager to return to the program’s winning ways. And pairing him up with new FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn could turn into a lethal combo inside the ACC.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.