TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida defender Thomas Castellanos waived his appeal for another year of college eligibility and declared for the NFL Draft.
Castellanos thanked his family, friends, coaches and teammates, and “everyone who supported me along the way” in a statement posted on social media.
Just Win Management Group, which represented Castellanos during his legal battle, said it supported his decision.
“While the unique facts and circumstances surrounding the petition for an additional year of eligibility did create a path of viability, after careful analysis and consideration, we fully support Mr. Castellanos' decision to forgo further prosecution and focus his attention on preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft,” the agency said in a statement.
The NCAA initially denied Castellanos' request to opt out of the fifth season.
Castellanos, who transferred to Florida State last December after one year at Central Florida and two at Boston College, argues that college football's sanctioning body should give him one more season because he played just five games for the Knights in 2022.
Castellanos played against Tulane in the American Athletic Conference title game after starter John Rhys Plumlee aggravated a hamstring injury. Backup Mikey Keane turned down the game because he wanted to maintain his eligibility for a year before entering the transfer portal.
That's a moot point now as the 5-foot-11 Castellanos focuses his attention on preparing for the draft.
This season, Castellanos has completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 2,760 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also led the Seminoles (5-7) with 557 yards and nine scores.
