Football
AJ McCarron Claps Back at Thomas Castellanos’ Alabama Trash Talk
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — One Alabama legend who let his talking happen on the field with a national championship let Florida State’s new quarterback transfer to tone it down a bit.
When it comes to trash talking Alabama, you certainly don’t poke that bear.
As the 2025 college football season approaches, the Crimson Tide prepare to open their campaign against Florida State in a matchup already charged with tension, much of it stirred by Thomas Castellanos, the Seminoles transfer from Boston College.
Before the two teams meet on August 30, former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron did not hold back in responding to Castellanos’ recent trash talk aimed at the Tide.
Castellanos, currently leading the Florida State offense, did not mince words in an On3 interview this summer.
“People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast. I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama,” Castellanos said. “They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”
That’s quite the bold confidence for a player who lost his job at his last school
McCarron, Alabama’s former star quarterback and two-time national champion, was quick to dismantle Castellanos’ bravado during a recent episode of his Dynasty podcast.
“All I’m saying is, if you’re a guy like Thomas, keep your mouth shut, go to work, and then let your play do the talking,” McCarron said. “You’re going to a team that was 17th out of 17 teams in the ACC. You’re leaving a team and lost the starting job where you finished ninth in the ACC. I’m all for confidence, but this is stupidity.”
The Tide legend suggested Castellanos should seek advice from Boston College’s Bill O’Brien, his former offensive coordinator who now coaches Castellanos’ former team.
“Ask Bill how Alabama is,” McCarron said. “What type of players they have. How they play the game. And let OB tell you, hey Thomas, you might want to stay quiet on this one.”
McCarron warned that the physicality and speed of Alabama’s defense would present a harsh reality check.
“Once you stand in that pocket and get hit a couple times, that accuracy that dipped that cost you the starting job, you better find it quick this offseason and during that game because it ain’t going to be good,” he said.
His critique extended beyond performance to experience, noting Castellanos’ lack of familiarity with the SEC’s level of play.
“Because you have no clue what you’re talking about. You don’t know the type of team you’re about to face. The athletes you’re going to face. Speed. Size,” McCarron added.
For Alabama, now under new leadership after Nick Saban’s retirement, the comments represent motivation rather than distraction.
“You’ve done ran your mouth and now you better back it up in the game or you are going to hear about it all year,” McCarron said. “And, you might lose your job again and have to enter the transfer portal once again.”
The Alabama-Florida State game is shaping up as a physical, high-stakes season opener with plenty of narrative subplots.
McCarron’s sharp response underscores the intensity and scrutiny that comes with playing for the Crimson Tide, a program known for its storied tradition and demand for excellence.
As the countdown to kickoff continues, the conversation between past and present players adds a layer of drama, reminding fans that in college football, words carry weight — but performance on the field is what truly matters.
