Is Thomas Castellanos playing today? Boston College QB out vs Western Kentucky with injury

Boston College has been one of the pleasant surprises in college football during the first month of the 2024 season, with a 3-1 record and two wins against Power Four conference opponents, including a resounding 28-13 season-opening win at preseason ACC favorite Florida State.

Few people, if any, have played a more critical role in that early success than Thomas Castellanos.

The Eagles’ quarterback has been one of the most exciting players in the sport so far, with his diminutive 5-foot-9 frame and his speed and athleticism drawing some (likely overstated) comparisons to Arizona Cardinals quarterback and 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.

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Through four games, the UCF transfer has accounted for 841 yards of total offense and 11 touchdowns while piloting an offense that is averaging 32 points per game.

Heading into Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky, though, there’s uncertainty about whether Boston College and coach Bill O’Brien will have their primary quarterback available to them.

Here’s what you need to know about Castellanos and his playing status heading into the Eagles’ game Saturday at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts:

Is Thomas Castellanos playing today?

Castellanos will not be playing Saturday against Western Kentucky, according to a report Friday from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Castellanos suffered an injury in Boston College’s 23-19 victory against Michigan State on September 21 in the Eagles’ annual “Red Bandana Game.”

Boston College is an 8.5-point favorite against Western Kentucky, according to odds Friday from BetMGM, shortly after news about Castellanos’ absence broke. The Hilltoppers are 3-1 this season, a run capped off by a 26-21 victory last Saturday against Toledo.

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Who is Grayson James?

With Castellanos out, Boston College will turn to Grayson James, a 6-foot-3 junior in his first season with the program.

James came to Chestnut Hill by way of Florida International, where he played his first two seasons. As a sophomore in 2022, he was an all-Conference USA honorable mention inclusion after throwing for 1,967 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with 223 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Over the course of his time at Florida International, James completed 58.4% of his passes for 2,347 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He has yet to throw a pass this season for the Eagles.

Behind James on the depth chart is redshirt freshman Jacobe Robinson, a three-start recruit who 247Sports’ composite ranking had as the No. 40 quarterback nationally in the 2023 recruiting class.

Thomas Castellanos stats

This season, Castellanos has completed 64.3% of his passes for 729 yards, 10.4 yards per attempt, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Over his college career, which began at UCF before he transferred to Boston College after the 2022 season, Castellanos has thrown for 3,052 yards, 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while adding 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Thomas Castellanos playing today? Boston College QB out vs WKU with undisclosed injury