Graphic: 3DownNation. (Photos: Florida State Athletics | ESPN | Vanderbilt Athletics)

Former Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware believes he has identified the next wave of great CFL quarterbacks.

The current ESPN colour analyst was calling Friday’s college football clash between Florida State and NC State, when he shared a discussion that he had with a CFL general manager about Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos.

“They think that he can go there and play for as long as he wants in the CFL,” Ware said. “I don’t know what his aspirations are in terms of the NFL, but he and Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt can play a long time up north.”

“They think he can go there and play for as long as he wants… in the CFL. He & Diego Pavia can play a long time up North.”

Former Heisman winner Andre Ware thinks Tommy Castellanos and Diego Pavia could have long careers in the Canadian Football League 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/RR3k4VNMwQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 22, 2025

Castellanos has been a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ exclusive negotiation list since September 28, 2023, indicating a high level of interest in his potential. The five-foot-11, 201-pound passer began his career as a backup for Central Florida before transferring to Boston College and later Florida State. He has made 31 starts in 37 career NCAA appearances, completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 6,209 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions, while rushing for 1,907 yards and 23 majors.

In his first season as the Seminoles’ QB, Castellanos has completed 163-of-281 passes (58 percent) for 2,520 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while rushing for 480 yards and eight scores. A loss against NC State dropped him to 5-6 on the season.

Though listed as a senior, the native of Miami, Fla., is technically eligible for a retroactive redshirt from his freshman season, meaning that he could choose to return to school.

Pavia has been on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ negotiation list since June 1, 2024, during which time he has established himself as one of the stars of college football. Over the past two years, the five-foot-11, 207-pound dual-threat passer has restored Vanderbilt to national relevance, upsetting No. 1 Alabama in 2024 and posting a 9-2 record so far this season.

In 2025, Pavia has completed 224-of-312 passes (71.8 percent) for 2,924 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while rushing for 661 yards and eight majors. The native of Albuquerque, N.M., began as a junior college quarterback at New Mexico Military Institute and transferred after two seasons to New Mexico State. He successfully sued the NCAA to restore his eligibility in order to transfer to Vanderbilt.

Across 47 starts and 51 NCAA games, Pavia has completed 62.0 percent of his passes for 9,640 yards, 85 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions, while rushing for 2,893 yards and 29 scores. The 23-year-old will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft but is regarded as a late-round or undrafted prospect, which makes the CFL a real possibility.

Ware knows from experience what type of quarterbacks can succeed in the CFL. After winning the Heisman Trophy with the University of Houston in 1989, he bounced around the NFL before coming north for three seasons. He spent one year each with the Ottawa Rough Riders, B.C. Lions, and Toronto Argonauts, throwing for 1,542 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 316 yards and a major. In his final season, he backed up Doug Flutie en route to a Grey Cup title.

CFL teams can claim the rights to up to 45 players via the negotiation list on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that they are not eligible for the Canadian or Global Drafts, and have never played in the league before. These players can be added, traded, or removed from the list at any time.

Being added to a negotiation list does not mean that the player has expressed interest in the CFL, and some are unaware that their rights have even been claimed. Players can only force their removal from the list if the team does not provide them with a minimum contract offer at their request.

While the Ticats and Bombers won’t know for a while whether placing these two quarterbacks on the neg list will pay off, they’ve given fans something to look forward to once Zach Collaros and Bo Levi Mitchell are gone.