Former Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware believes he has defined the next wave of great CFL quarterbacks.
The current ESPN color analyst was covering Friday's Florida State-North Carolina football game when he shared his conversation with the CFL general manager about Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos.
“They think he can go there and play in the CFL as long as he wants,” Ware said. “I don’t know what his NFL ambitions are, but he and Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt could be up north for a long time.”
“They think he can go there and play as long as he wants… in the CFL. He and Diego Pavia can play up north for a long time.”
Former Heisman winner Andre Ware believes Tommy Castellanos and Diego Pavia can have long careers in the Canadian Football League 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/RR3k4VNMwQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 22, 2025
Castellanos has been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats exclusive negotiation list since Sept. 28, 2023, indicating a high level of interest in his potential. The five-foot-11, 201-pound passer began his career as a backup at Central Florida before transferring to Boston College and then Florida State. He made 31 starts in 37 career NCAA games, completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 6,209 yards, 46 touchdowns and 27 interceptions while rushing for 1,907 yards and 23 primary scores.
In his first season as the Seminoles' QB, Castellanos completed 163 of 281 passes (58 percent) for 2,520 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 480 yards and eight scores. The loss to North Carolina State dropped him to 5–6 on the season.
Although the Miami, Florida native is listed as a senior, he is technically eligible for a retroactive redshirt from his freshman season, meaning he could decide to return to school.
Pavia has been on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' negotiating list since June 1, 2024, during which time he has established himself as one of college football's stars. Over the past two years, the five-foot-11, 207-pound dual-threat passer has brought Vanderbilt back to national prominence, beating No. 1 Alabama in 2024 and posting a 9-2 record this season.
In 2025, Pavia completed 224 of 312 passes (71.8 percent) for 2,924 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions, while gaining 661 yards and eight carries. The Albuquerque, N.M., native started out as a junior college quarterback at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to New Mexico State two seasons later. He successfully sued the NCAA to regain his eligibility and transfer to Vanderbilt.
In 47 starts and 51 NCAA games, Pavia completed 62.0 percent of his passes for 9,640 yards, 85 touchdowns and 25 interceptions while rushing for 2,893 yards and 29 scores. The 23-year-old will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft but is considered a late-round or undrafted prospect, making a move to the CFL a realistic possibility.
Ware knows from experience which defensemen can succeed in the CFL. After winning the Heisman Trophy with the University of Houston in 1989, he bounced around the NFL before spending three seasons up north. He spent a year each with the Ottawa Rough Raiders, BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts, throwing for 1,542 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 316 yards and winning a major. In his final season, he backstopped Doug Flutie to the Gray Cup title.
CFL teams can Claim the rights of up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Draft and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the roster at any time.
Being added to the negotiation list does not mean a player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are not even aware that their rights have been claimed. Players can only forcefully remove them from the roster if the team does not provide them with the minimum contract offer upon their request.
While the Ticats and Bombers won't know for some time whether blacklisting these two quarterbacks will pay off, they have given fans something to look forward to with Zach Collaros and Bo Levi Mitchell gone.
