Fueled by the reminiscence of his late brother, Thomas Castellanos has blossomed right into a star for BC

Two days after Christmas in 2021, proper earlier than he ventured to school, Thomas Castellanos tragically misplaced his oldest brother, Akeem Jones.

Castellanos, the eighth of 11 youngsters in a single-parent family in Waycross, Ga., tried to forge on, however an unfamiliar feeling of vacancy weighed him down.

“He was like the pinnacle of the snake,” Castellanos mentioned. “It’s nearly like the pinnacle getting chopped off when he handed away. It weakened me. Mentally, I used to be confused, and I used to be misplaced.”

Castellanos contemplated quitting soccer, however the classes Jones taught him helped him keep afloat. He recalled their frequent 2:30 a.m. cellphone conversations, and the way Jones — a onetime quarterback at Backyard Metropolis Group School in Kansas — all the time believed in him even when others didn’t.

He realized he owed it to each of them to comply with by means of on the dream to star at a Energy 5 college. Now, Castellanos, a switch from Central Florida, is delivering on that promise for Boston School. The slippery, scintillating sophomore, who leads all quarterbacks within the nation with 628 speeding yards, is the pinnacle of the snake for an Eagles staff on the rise.

BC (4-3), which welcomes UConn (1-6) to city this Saturday, is taking part in its greatest soccer because the begin of the 2021 season. Because the Eagles attempt to avenge final yr’s demoralizing loss to the Huskies, and make a push within the Atlantic Coast Convention, Castellanos is on the crux of that resurgence.

“We’re turning this factor round,” Castellanos mentioned. “Boston is again. Boston School soccer is again. We’re not the laughingstock of faculty soccer or the ACC. We’re again, and we’re rolling.”

Born in Miami, Castellanos moved to south Georgia as a toddler. His father died when he was 3. His mom labored as a nurse to make sure her youngsters by no means missed a meal. He reveres her to at the present time for her power and independence.

“I’m very grateful for her,” Castellanos mentioned. “She’s the explanation why I’m who I’m right now.”

Castellanos was all the time a giant child, and he began taking part in proper guard round age 5. However when his brother LeDedrick obtained all of the love and glory as a quarterback, Castellanos yearned for a style himself.

His expertise was apparent, and faculties similar to Georgia and Miami confirmed curiosity when he was in center college. He dazzled at quarterback and center linebacker.

He accounted for greater than 11,000 yards in highschool and acquired provides from faculties similar to Kansas, Coastal Carolina, and Akron. He toured UCF with Jones, who insisted his child brother had Alabama expertise and reminded him to dream massive.

When Jones died, Castellanos questioned his religion, questioning why God would let this occur.

“I used to be making an attempt to maintain going,” Castellanos mentioned, “however it was a giant wrestle.”

Shedding his brother helped him notice how fragile and darkish life could be. He went to church, discovered himself, and prayed to his brother, then re-emerged and entered the switch portal.

Castellanos, who had seen restricted motion in 5 video games at UCF, acquired greater than 20 provides. BC coach Jeff Hafley remembers watching movie, smiling, and considering, “Yeah, this child’s dynamic.”

The 5-foot-10-inch, 196-pound Castellanos trusted his intestine and dedicated to BC in April 2023. When he arrived on campus, in Boston for the primary time, his thoughts began racing.

“I keep in mind asking myself and questioning myself over once more,” Castellanos mentioned. “ ‘What the hell was I considering by coming to Boston?’ I by no means considered or imagined myself being right here. It was form of loopy for me.

“I’m not going to lie; the primary week or two, I cried. I used to be like, ‘What am I doing right here?’ ”

Some days in camp, Castellanos felt as if quarterback was an open competitors. Different days, it appeared Emmett Morehead had locked up the beginning job.

His 11-month-old French bulldog, Ghost — whom he endearingly refers to as his “son” —helped get him by means of one other darkish time.

“Canine all the time have that factor about them, man,” Castellanos mentioned. “After they know you’re having a nasty day, otherwise you’re unhappy, they form of simply curl up on you and make you rub on them. They make you are feeling higher.”

He determined to embrace no matter got here his method and concentrate on serving to the staff nonetheless he might, even when a chunk of him initially second-guessed his resolution.

Within the preseason, Castellanos clairvoyantly described himself as a “game-changer” who makes issues occur once they’re not presupposed to.

“Now and again,” he mentioned, “I make the group go, ‘Ohhh!’ what I’m saying? ‘That was loopy. I wasn’t anticipating that to occur.’ Wild performs, I really feel like I’ve in my bag.”

Castellanos wasn’t exaggerating. Within the opener towards Northern Illinois, he swerved round like a Zamboni and transformed a extremely inconceivable fourth and 5. He began the subsequent week and hasn’t regarded again.

Castellanos has spearheaded comeback wins over Virginia, Military, and Georgia Tech. The Georgia Tech triumph was significantly gratifying, as he pieced collectively an ACC Co-Quarterback of the Week efficiency in entrance of greater than 100 private supporters.

“He’s simply getting higher and higher,” Hafley mentioned. “He doesn’t get rattled. The blokes imagine in him.”

As a lot as he’s already completed, he’s solely a sophomore and remains to be discovering who he’s. This BC staff is in an identical spot — on the rise and beginning to unlock its potential — with Castellanos as an anchor.

His coronary heart will all the time ache together with his brother gone, however recreation by recreation, he’s starting to rediscover his goal.

“Now, I’m doing what I dreamed of doing,” Castellanos mentioned. “Now, I’m who I dreamed of being.”