Though we are only two weeks away from the start of the 2026 Texas Tech football season, the Red Raiders may still be looking to add talent to this year's roster. What's more, social media rumors suggest that head coach Joey McGuire and General Manager James Blanchard might be set to add a player at the game's most important position.
Friday, it was reported that former Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos received an injunction from a Kentucky judge that should allow him to play a fifth year of college football this fall. Castellanos, who is in the transfer portal, is expected to finish his playing career at Texas Tech, in a move that has been rumored for several weeks pending the outcome of his eligibility lawsuit.
NEW: Texas Tech is an early team to watch for former Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos, @PeteNakos reports🌵https://t.co/pjg2nHPTtt https://t.co/RgHyEmSk9T pic.twitter.com/3oIvn7VO0V
— On3 (@On3) August 21, 2026
Castellanos spent his first season of college football at UCF before transferring to Boston College for two seasons. Last year, he was with the Seminoles, where it appeared that his college career would end. In fact, he even spent time this offseason with the Tennessee Titans of the NFL trying to earn a spot on their roster.
For his career, Castellanos has thrown for 6,449 yards and 48 TDs while completing 58.5% of his passes. A dual-threat QB, he's also rushed for 1,984 yards and 24 more scores.
Texas Tech is making this move for depth, not to replace Will Hammond
Make no mistake, this is an insurance policy for Texas Tech. Castellanos is not being asked to arrive less than two weeks prior to the season and be the starter.
Will Hammond will remain the man in charge of the Red Raider offense. However, if any program knows that it is wise to have multiple options at QB over the course of a season, it would be Texas Tech.
Since the start of the 2017 season, only once (2024) have the Red Raiders had a player start every regular-season game at QB. What's more, five seasons during that span saw Tech have to start at least three different players at the position for at least one game.
With 38 games of experience at the college level, Castellanos would bring some reassurance to a Texas Tech QB room that could use more. Hammond has made only two career starts, and the entire group of QBs currently on the roster has only 12 starts between them.
That's why it is easy to see how Castellanos could be a valuable addition to the Red Raiders. Now, we wait to see if the rumors of his interest in Texas Tech turn out to be true.
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