I outlined this argument back in February, the day Bill O’Brien was announced as head coach at Boston College. That argument was a simple one: he and quarterback Thomas Castellanos would not be able to coexist. Now, eight months later, Castellanos has been benched and is headed for the transfer portal.
This was inevitable.
The Benching
I am not a reporter and have no information on what actually led to Castellanos’s benching or departure from the team. The dual-threat completed 61% of his passes, with 18 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. He was taking care of the ball.
Again, I am not a reporter. But I have a brain and common sense. As I articulated in February, O’Brien has a long, demonstrated history of preferring to drop-back passers over dual-threat quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson notwithstanding. So much so that he once told Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who checks in at 22 on Dane Brugler’s NFL Draft Big Board, that he should switch positions.
From the outside looking in, O’Brien is the equivalent of Bill Polian, who said that 2X NFL MVP Lamar Jackson should switch to receiver.
When O’Brien was announced as coach, I wondered whether he would evolve and design an offense around Castellanos’s strengths. As we now know, the answer was unequivocally, no.
Playing to Strengths
In 2023, Castellanos led quarterbacks in rushing with 1,113 yards on the ground, an average of 85.62 yards per game. The prior coaching regime also called 125 designed QB runs for the dual threat last season, or 9.615 designed run attempts per game.
Given that running the ball is his clear strength, one would expect a rational coach to exploit and develop that strength. Is that what O’Brien did? Before his benching, Castellanos had 39 design run attempts in his eight starts. That’s just 5.571 designed rush attempts per game, a decrease of 58% from 2023 to 2024. Castellanos’s 194 yards rushing was good for just 24.25 yards per game, well below his 2023 pace.
Compare Castellanos to Jalen Milroe
The contrast is quite noticeable when comparing the offensive design for another first-year head coach paired with a dual-threat quarterback. Under Nick Saban in 2023, Jalen Milroe ran 47 designated QB runs, a pace good for 3.615 designed run attempts per game.
In 2024 and through nine games, coach Kalen DeBoer has Milroe in the Heisman trophy discussion with 67 designated rush attempts or 7.444 designed run attempts per game. That figure represents an increase of 205% in designated quarterback runs.
Thomas Castellanos
| ZONE | GAP | TOTAL | |
| 2023 | 14 | 111 | 125 |
| 2024 | 6 | 33 | 39 |
Jalen Milroe
| ZONE | GAP | TOTAL | |
| 2023 | 24 | 23 | 47 |
| 2024 | 26 | 41 | 67 |
The evidence would suggest that O’Brien came to Boston College intent on establishing an offense around what he was comfortable with historically, rather than what Castellanos does well. It’s his program and his prerogative. But it is interesting to note that DeBoer was able to have successful offenses with both Michael Penix Jr. and Jalen Milroe, players on completely different ends of the play style spectrum.
Whether looking at the numbers or considering other anecdotes, it is reasonable to conclude that O’Brien never wanted Castellanos as his signal caller.
This kind of aggressive rejection of a player is par for the course for Bill Belichick’s disciples. O’Brien suggested to Milroe that he should switch positions.
As head coach of the Dolphins, longtime Belichick assistant Brian Flores berated Tua Tagovailoa, telling him he didn’t belong on the team or in the NFL.
Those sentiments were nearly identical to those that longtime Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia told defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson when he was head coach of the Detroit Lions.
What’s Next for Castellanos?
O’Brien has indicated that FIU transfer Grayson James will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Reports are that TC has entered the transfer portal. So here’s to wishing Castellanos lands on his feet and with a coach who appreciates his skill set.
