Reviewing the Performance of UCF Commitment Thomas Castellanos

A detailed review of this past Friday night’s performance for future UCF quarterback Thomas Castellanos of Ware County High School.

Brian Smith | Oct 17, 2021

Waycross, Ga. - In a great game between 5A No. 1 Warner Robins at 5A No. 5 Ware County, UCF quarterback commitment Thomas Castellanos led his Ware County squad to a 29-22 victory.

There were many opportunities to see Castellanos make game-changing plays, and he is blessed to be playing with a talented team and a coaching staff that allows him to utilize his talents to the fullest. Here’s a recap of how Castellanos performed.

Thomas Castellanos and Cartevious Norton / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Vitals: 5’11”, 200 pounds

High School: Waycross (Ga.) Ware County

Position: Quarterback

Recruitment: Committed to UCF.

Creating Plays

There are few signal callers that make more out of nothing than Castellanos. Several occasions saw the Warner Robins defense penetrate into the backfield and seemingly surround Castellanos. With elite talent across the line of scrimmage like class of 2023 defensive end Vic Burley, at 6’4”, 280 pounds, there were certainly plenty of tough situations for Castellanos to overcome. Burley is just one of several players for Warner Robins that will play college football.

Somehow, some way, Castellanos kept escaping several of those possible sacks from Burley and his teammates. He also weaved his way through traffic during quarterback draws.

He’s crafty, and Castellanos possesses the physical tools to be an elite cornerback or wide receiver. Combining the two skills makes him very hard to tackle during a one-on-one situation. He also knows when to hit full stride.

Instead of just going full speed near the line of scrimmage, Castellanos would keep a low running base to help him to better make cuts. He would then give the next defender a move supplemented with a change of speed when needed.

These skills were sometimes used to earn more time to pass the football. He kept multiple passing plays alive before finding an intended target by using his legs.

Off-Platform Throws

With Castellanos often on the move, it should be noted that he would still make accurate passes without the ability to set his feet. He would also change arm angles, including a side-armed pass down the left sideline for a completion where he threw the football against his body.

Overall, hard to define to someone how good Castellanos showed he can throw the football while being on the run and/or needing to change his arm angle in an effort to avoid a pass from being knocked to the ground.

From the Pocket

Castellanos provided a good lower body base when passing in a traditional manner. He threw the football with a traditional over-the-top motion that will not need much if any adjustment once he reaches UCF.

Most importantly, Castellanos showed the ability to know where the football should go and when to throw the football. He’s not one of those high school quarterbacks that waits for the wide receiver to come open and then throw the football. That’s the type of play that often leads to a defensive back breaking on the football and causing an interception.

Here's a screen pass to Cartevious Norton, a running for Ware County that's being recruited by several programs including UCF and Clemson among others. This play showed good timing so that Norton could turn up field and follow his blockers as quickly as possible.

Once he reaches UCF, Castellanos will need to continue to work on eye discipline, keeping a good balance, and all of the aspects of quarterback play in the pocket just like every other signal caller. From his junior to senior seasons, he showed good improvement with his throws from the pocket, so that’s a good sign for his future development.

Just Being an Athlete

Sometimes plays go wrong. Sometimes they go very wrong. Missed blocking assignment, a route ran wrong, etc. These are the types of plays that Castellanos Generates big-time plays when other quarterbacks quite simply would be sacked.

He’s a running back or slot wide receiver with quarterback skills. From his past history with quarterbacks, current UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn once coached an Auburn quarterback by the name of Nick Marshall. Marshall moved in a similar way to what one should expect from Castellanos now. Further, Castellanos will run through tacklers much like Marshall did for the Tigers during his day on the Plains at Auburn.

Note: Today’s edition of The Daily Knight podcast will further discuss Castellanos, his best friend and teammate, running back Cartevious Norton, and the entire game atmosphere for the Warner Robins at Ware County game. There are very few cities or towns that take football as seriously as the folks from Waycross, Ga. It’s an incredible place to visit and one that high school fans should find there way to for a game. The story about the game and atmosphere will be up by 5 p.m. EST if not before.

For UCF insights, college football news, and recruiting information go to: The Daily Knight podcast. It will be found on iTunes and Spotify. For more UCF and recruiting information, go to Twitter: @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation, as well as my YouTube Channel and Instagram page. Like and Subscribe!