Joey McGuire makes first comments on addition of Thomas Castellanos to Texas Tech roster

For the first time since Thomas Castellanos committed to Texas Tech, Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire addressed the addition. He released a statement as the school announced Castellanos would join the roster.

Castellanos’ commitment to Texas Tech came in light of a court order, which granted him an additional year of eligibility. He was added to a lawsuit in Kentucky that also included Mark Mitchell, who later announced his commitment to Kentucky.

$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage

In a press release Saturday, Texas Tech confirmed Castellanos will join the competition to back up Will Hammond on the Red Raiders roster. McGuire also said the program planned to carry six QBs in 2026, and Castellanos brings experience to the roster, as well.

“It has been our intention since this past December to carry six quarterbacks on our roster this season,” McGuire said. “With Tommy, we have an experienced quarterback who we believe can come in and help us win games, if needed. His athleticism is also a great trait and will let us continue to expand our offense.”

Castellanos played the 2025 season at Florida State after previously playing at Boston College and UCF during his college career. He threw for 2,760 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 557 yards and nine scores in his sole season with the Seminoles in 2025. He also memorably led FSU to a Week 1 upset against Alabama to get the season started.

On3’s Pete Nakos previously reported Castellanos was exploring a return to college football. He was expected to file a lawsuit in Texas in light of the NCAA’s age-based, five-year eligibility model before eventually joining the suit in Kentucky as a plaintiff. Castellanos is a member of the 2022 recruiting class.

The NCAA’s age-based model calls for an athlete’s eligibility clock to start with initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. The age-based eligibility implementation began this summer, and recruits starting in 2027 are age-based only. Notably, the rule is not retroactive for 2022 recruits, which led to a number of lawsuits.

This story will be updated.