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Quarterback switch to Grayson James is just one subplot in BC-SMU rematch
As Boston College football tries to knock off a ranked Southern Methodist team for the second time in 11 months, it will turn to Grayson James as the starting quarterback.
Former starter Thomas Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the news, according to BC coach Bill O’Brien, and has “taken a couple days.” O’Brien said Castellanos was still not with the team as of Wednesday morning, adding that he doesn’t expect Castellanos to travel to Dallas.
James, a 6-foot-3-inch, 226-pound junior who transferred from Florida International, grew up 20 minutes from SMU in Duncanville, Texas. He started and steered the Eagles past Western Kentucky in September when Castellanos was out with a concussion, then entered this past Saturday and fueled BC to a critical comeback win over Syracuse.
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O’Brien called that move “the best decision for the team at the time.” He said he brought in James and Castellanos Sunday and discussed the change.
“I really don’t see it as a big, dramatic thing,” O’Brien said Wednesday. “Other people might see it that way. We’ve got quarterbacks on the roster. Grayson’s done a good job. He’s earned the opportunity.”
The Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will face a daunting challenge against the No. 14 Mustangs (8-1, 5-0), who lead the ACC and are on the cusp of making the College Football Playoff.
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The game is a rematch of last year’s Fenway Bowl. BC won that one, 23-14, thanks in large part to Castellanos’s fourth-quarter heroics.
Castellanos showed promise early this season, guiding BC to its first national ranking since 2018. The Eagles didn’t throw the ball often, but they did throw it efficiently, and Castellanos’s growth was a major reason why.
James got the nod against Western Kentucky after Castellanos was injured against Michigan State, and he finished 19 of 32 for 168 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, as the Eagles escaped with a 21-20 win. James looked a bit timid and rusty at first, then found a rhythm as the game progressed.
Castellanos returned against Virginia Oct. 5 and dominated in the first half before sputtering with costly turnovers late. The Eagles lost that game, then fell to Virginia Tech and Louisville, with Castellanos’s inconsistency a microcosm of the team’s woes.
He led BC to a lead over Syracuse, then the Orange pulled ahead before he left with an apparent leg injury and James sparked a second-half surge. O’Brien said afterward that “a little bit of everything” went into the decision, and on Tuesday, he made it clear the move wasn’t temporary.
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James, who missed time in training camp and early in the season with a strained lat, has improved in O’Brien’s eyes.
“He’s a guy the team really respects,” O’Brien said. “The team has a lot of support for him.”
Tight end Jeremiah Franklin said he’s seen James’s leadership increase, particularly in the practice directly after the Syracuse game. Franklin said that while it’s a slightly different throw, because of the 6-inch difference in height, the change is minor.
“Whoever’s in at quarterback, whether it’s Tommy or Grayson, we’re still going to go in and win and play as hard as we can,” Franklin said. “I expect this transition to be seamless.”
Wide receiver Lewis Bond, a close friend of Castellanos’s, declined to comment on the matter. He said his focus is on catching the ball that comes to him.
While the quarterback change is a major narrative, it’s just one nugget in a juicy matchup between familiar foes.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” BC defensive end Neto Okpala said. “It should be a lot of trash-talking, I would assume. It will be pretty entertaining and pretty fun to play them again.”
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Last year, the Mustangs were 11-2 and had a legitimate shot at a New Year’s Six bowl. Instead, they ended up traveling to Boston and lost a very winnable matchup to a 6-6 BC team in the rain.
Now, an SMU team that’s arguably even stronger will get a crack at redemption. Bond doesn’t view this as a rivalry, but he does expect the Mustangs to be motivated.
“As a competitor, you play a team last year and you lose, you’re going to be hungry, you’re going to want to beat them this year,” Bond said. “There’s going to be a little bit of that, but besides that, I don’t think it’s anything.”
O’Brien called SMU one of the best-coached teams the Eagles have faced. Kevin Jennings leads the way as a Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award semifinalist. He is third nationally in yards per pass attempt (9.69).
Miami transfer Brashard Smith has 140 carries for 906 yards and 11 touchdowns. O’Brien said he “can do it all” and is one of the best players BC will see this year. RJ Maryland, Key’Shawn Smith, and Roderick Daniels Jr. highlight a deep pass-catching group.
“They all have around the same amount of catches and the same amount of yards,” BC cornerback Max Tucker said. “We’re just going to play our game and make them adjust to us.”
On the other side, the chess match between BC’s formidable run game and SMU’s elite rush defense could decide the outcome.
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BC racked up a season-high 313 rushing yards against the Orange, and SMU has allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (90) in the country.
“We’ll see what happens,” O’Brien said. “We’ll have to find out on game day.”
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