Virginia head coach Tony Elliott knows firsthand how dangerous Tommy Castellanos can be. The Cavaliers faced him when he was at Boston College, and Elliott hasn’t forgotten.
“He’s always been really good, very dynamic,” Elliott said. “We learned that firsthand a couple years ago up at BC when we got a lead at half and then he just takes over in the second half.”
Now at Florida State, Castellanos has taken another step forward. “What you’re seeing is a lot of confidence,” Elliott explained. “He looks very decisive. He knows where to go with the ball. Decisive on when he needs to pull it down and run it. And when he’s in space, I mean, he just looks like he’s playing a video game. He’s making people miss.”
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The Seminoles are averaging 363 rushing yards per game, with Castellanos at the center of the attack. Elliott credited both the quarterback’s poise and Gus Malzahn’s offensive scheme for the success. “They come right at you. The backs they got, I mean they just keep them coming. They all look very similar, one-cut guys. The offensive line’s creating a lot of space. And Gus has always done this, he makes you defend every inch of the field.”
Elliott said Castellanos is now playing like one of the nation’s best. “He just looks really confident, really comfortable. And when he’s playing like that, he’s as good as anybody in the country.”
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