Castellanos Granted State Injunction for Fifth Season, Texas Tech Leads Early Portal Race

Former Florida State and Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos entered the transfer portal on Friday after a Kentucky judge granted him an injunction allowing him to compete for a fifth college season, with Texas Tech named an early school to watch for his services, according to On3's Pete Nakos.

Castellanos was among a group of 13 football and basketball players who secured state-level temporary orders to retain eligibility — a strategy that has become necessary in the wake of a significant federal court ruling. On Friday, the Tenth Circuit United States Court of Appeals in Colorado granted the NCAA's stay request in the Wisne v. NCAA case, effectively stripping federal eligibility protections from athletes who began competing in the 2022-23 collegiate season and have exhausted four years of eligibility under the NCAA's prior rules.

Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado ruled that class of 2022 athletes would no longer receive blanket federal protection for a fifth season of play, leaving individual state courts as the primary avenue for players seeking to preserve their eligibility. The ruling is expected to be appealed, but its immediate effect placed dozens of athletes' futures in uncertainty heading into the 2026 season.

State Injunctions Become the New Battleground

The state-level injunction route has produced mixed results in quick succession. Basketball prospect Mark Mitchell secured a temporary order in Jefferson County, Kentucky, on Friday, while Kentucky football target Alex Afari saw his eligibility path blocked after the federal stay took effect, leaving him ineligible to suit up for the Wildcats program for the time being. Afari is expected to explore state-court options similar to those pursued by Mitchell and Castellanos. Former ECU players JD Lampley, Marlon Gunn, and Samuel Dankah also received unwelcome news Friday, with their potential returns put in serious doubt by the ruling.

All persons in the United States who began to play in collegiate sports in the 2022–2023 season, competed in NCAA Division I sports, and completed four years of eligibility as defined by the NCAA's prior rules by the conclusion of the 2025–2026 season, and are therefore barred from playing a fifth season due to the NCAA's adoption and immediate implementation of the Five-Year Eligibility Rule.

— Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals stay ruling in Wisne v. NCAA

For Texas Tech, the pursuit of Castellanos comes as the Red Raiders navigate their own quarterback situation following the departure of Brendan Sorsby. Castellanos, a proven starter with experience at two Power programs, would represent a high-profile addition should the Red Raiders land him out of the portal. The eligibility landscape remains fluid as appeals work through the courts, leaving coaches and players across the country managing an uncertain roster picture ahead of the 2026 season.