AJ McCarron eviscerates Thomas Castellanos for Alabama callout: 'This is stupidity'

The anticipation continues to build for the Week 1 matchup between Alabama and Florida State after Seminoles quarterback Thomas Castellanos called out the Crimson Tide while speaking exclusively with On3’s Pete Nakos. Those comments drew a strong response from former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.

McCarron answered back at Castellanos’ callout, calling it “stupidity” on The Dynasty podcast. He pointed out the fact the new FSU quarterback lost the starting quarterback job at Boston College last year before transferring and reuniting with Gus Malzahn after the two worked together at UCF in 2022.

McCarron also noted Castellanos played for a former Alabama offensive coordinator in Bill O’Brien last year. O’Brien, he argued, could be a good resource to learn more about giving the Crimson Tide bulletin-board material.

“Where do you even start?” McCarron told Chris Stewart and Trent Richardson. “You’re going to a team that was 17th out of 17 teams in the ACC. You’re leaving a team and lost the starting job where you finished ninth in the ACC. Listen, I’m all for confidence, but this is stupidity. Just ask if he still has a relationship – which I doubt he does because he yanked him from his starting job – but Bill O’Brien. Call him up, ask Bill how Alabama is. What type of players they have, how they play the game and let OB tell you, Hey, Thomas, you might want to stay quiet on this one. Just go out and play.

“You just added fuel to the fire, brother. I promise you, I wouldn’t want to be you the first game of the year. I don’t care how well you can run, how well you can throw it. Once you stand in that pocket and get hit a couple times, that accuracy that dipped, that cost you the starting job, you’d better find it quick this offseason and during that game, because it ain’t gonna be good.”

Thomas Castellanos told Nakos he “always dreamed” of playing against Alabama, which dominated under former coach Nick Saban. However, he pointed out Saban isn’t there to “save” the Crimson Tide. He also said the defense will have a hard time containing him.

“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos said. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”