Thomas Castellanos Boldly Claims Florida State Will Outplay Alabama in the 2025 Season Opener and Proves Why He’s Confident
When Thomas Castellanos speaks about college football, especially a game of the magnitude of Florida State versus Alabama, people pay attention. The UCF-transfer-turned-Georgia-Tech-quarterback-turned-college-football-analyst has never been one to shy away from controversial opinions. And in the buildup to the 2025 college football season, he’s stirring the pot yet again with a take that’s making waves across the country: Alabama football won’t be able to stop Florida State in their much-anticipated season opener.
Castellanos isn’t saying this for attention. He’s studied the rosters, watched the spring games, broken down film, and followed every development throughout the offseason. In his view, this isn’t just a hot take—it’s a calculated prediction backed by the shifts in college football’s power dynamics, the structure of both rosters, and the evolution of coaching strategies. Let’s break down why Castellanos is convinced the Seminoles will outshine the Crimson Tide when the two powerhouses clash to kick off the 2025 campaign.
First and foremost, Castellanos points to Florida State’s offensive firepower. The Seminoles have been stockpiling talent over the past three recruiting cycles. Mike Norvell’s offense has grown into one of the more versatile and dangerous units in college football. Their 2024 season saw them lead the ACC in scoring, and their offensive coordinator, Alex Atkins, has built a scheme that is both explosive and disciplined. According to Castellanos, the 2025 FSU offense might be the most balanced and deep unit they’ve had in a decade.
What makes this Florida State offense so dangerous, Castellanos argues, is their adaptability. The Seminoles can beat teams on the ground, through the air, and with tempo. Their quarterback, presumed to be junior sensation Brock Glenn, is not only physically gifted but mentally sharp. Glenn showed flashes of brilliance last year, and with another full offseason under his belt, he’s expected to take a significant leap forward. Add in a trio of elite wide receivers—two of them five-star recruits from the 2023 and 2024 classes—and a running back room that runs five-deep with experience, and FSU’s offense looks like a nightmare for even the most elite defenses.
Castellanos also stresses the offensive line, often an overlooked unit in preseason predictions. Florida State’s O-line returns four starters and adds two top-tier transfers from the portal. This is a group that held its own against SEC-caliber pass rushers in bowl games and will be more experienced and gelled heading into 2025. Castellanos believes that Alabama’s vaunted defensive front—long considered a cornerstone of its identity—will struggle against this physical, disciplined group.
But Castellanos isn’t just confident because of what FSU brings to the table. He’s also concerned about Alabama’s trajectory. While Nick Saban’s legacy remains untouched, the program is going through a transition. Kalen DeBoer, who took the reins after Saban’s retirement, is an offensive-minded coach who impressed at Washington, but the SEC is an entirely different beast. Castellanos notes that DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa had its moments, but there were also growing pains, especially on the defensive side.
Alabama’s 2024 season revealed some cracks in their armor. Their defense, while still loaded with talent, showed lapses in communication and discipline. There were too many missed tackles, too many blown assignments, and not enough consistency on third down. Castellanos suggests that the loss of long-time defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who left for an SEC head coaching job, has left the Crimson Tide’s defense searching for a new identity.
Moreover, Alabama’s secondary, once its calling card, is relatively inexperienced heading into the 2025 season. Several key players left early for the NFL, and while the Tide continue to recruit elite talent, it’s asking a lot for true freshmen and second-year players to match up against Florida State’s experienced receiving corps. Castellanos believes that this specific matchup—FSU’s veteran wideouts against Alabama’s green secondary—will be a pivotal advantage for the Seminoles.
Castellanos also brings up the quarterback situation at Alabama. While there’s talent in the QB room, none of the candidates have established themselves as dominant, consistent leaders. Jalen Milroe’s departure to the NFL left a vacuum, and the new starter, whether it’s redshirt sophomore Ty Simpson or true freshman phenom Julian Lewis, will be walking into the fire in Week 1. Facing a Florida State defense with a fully returning defensive line, two All-ACC linebackers, and an elite ball-hawking secondary is no easy task for a new quarterback.
Defense is another area where Castellanos feels Florida State has the edge. Under Norvell and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, the Seminoles have quietly built one of the top defensive units in the nation. While their offense gets the headlines, their defense does the dirty work. They ranked top-10 nationally in sacks, third-down defense, and turnovers forced last season. And that was with several key starters playing through injury.
Castellanos emphasizes how much returning production FSU has on defense. Jared Verse might be gone to the NFL, but rising star Patrick Payton is ready to take the reins as the team’s top edge rusher. The linebacker duo of Omar Graham Jr. and Blake Nichelson is among the fastest and most instinctive in the ACC, and their cornerback tandem of Azareye’h Thomas and Fentrell Cypress II is arguably the best in the country. Castellanos believes that this defense is being underestimated because it plays in the ACC—but that they’re capable of dominating any offense in the country, even one as historically potent as Alabama’s.
Beyond personnel, Castellanos talks about team culture and momentum. Florida State enters the 2025 season with a massive chip on its shoulder. They were controversially left out of the 2023 College Football Playoff despite an undefeated record, and while they returned to prominence in 2024, they still feel disrespected nationally. That kind of motivation is powerful, and Castellanos argues that FSU will come into the season opener with a hunger that Alabama simply can’t match.
Then there’s the venue. The game is being played at a neutral site in Atlanta, which technically is closer to Tuscaloosa than Tallahassee, but FSU fans have traveled well in recent years, especially to big-stage matchups. Castellanos says the Seminoles will treat this like a playoff game. Alabama, meanwhile, may treat it as just the beginning of a long journey. That disparity in urgency could swing the game early, especially if FSU can land a few punches in the first quarter.
Another major factor is coaching. While DeBoer is highly respected and showed an elite offensive mind at Washington, Castellanos believes Mike Norvell has earned his place among the top coaches in college football. Norvell has guided FSU through turmoil, rebuilt their culture, and developed talent at an impressive rate. More importantly, his staff has remained largely intact, creating a sense of continuity that gives Florida State an advantage in preparation and execution.
Castellanos also mentions special teams—a facet of the game often overlooked until it decides a game. FSU has one of the best special teams units in the country. Their punter routinely flips field position, and their kicker hit three game-winners last year. Alabama, by contrast, has been inconsistent in the kicking game, and that could loom large in what is expected to be a tightly contested battle.
Ultimately, Castellanos’s belief that Alabama won’t be able to stop Florida State in the 2025 season opener is not a flippant opinion—it’s an analysis based on real trends, tangible roster evaluations, and psychological intangibles. He isn’t predicting a blowout. He knows Alabama will fight and that they’re always dangerous. But he sees the pieces lining up for a major early-season statement from the Seminoles.
In a sport often dominated by bluebloods and tradition, Castellanos believes the winds are shifting. He sees Florida State as a program that has clawed its way back into the national spotlight and is now ready to stay there. For Alabama, this is a season of transition and growth. For Florida State, it’s a season of reckoning—and Castellanos thinks they’ll come out swinging.
When the two teams meet under the lights in Atlanta, all eyes will be on the matchup of titans. And if Thomas Castellanos is right, it might just be the night that Florida State announces, once and for all, that they’re back—and that Alabama no longer holds the crown alone.
