Andre Ware knows a thing or two about the Canadian Football League.<\/p>\n
The 1989 Heisman winner played three seasons up north with the Ottawa Rough Riders, BC Lions, and Toronto Argonauts after his NFL career stalled out in Detroit. So when Ware offered his assessment of Tommy Castellanos<\/a> and Diego Pavia<\/a> during Friday\u2019s Florida State-North Carolina State broadcast, he was speaking from experience.<\/p>\n \u201cI spoke to a scout, or actually a general manager in Canada, about Tommy Castellanos, and they think he could go there and play for as long as he wants in the CFL,\u201d Ware said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what his aspirations are, in terms of the NFL, but he and Diego Pavia at Vanderbilt can play a long time up north.\u201d<\/p>\n Andre Ware says FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos could have a long career in the CFL. pic.twitter.com\/IeT2uDs6vC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s not an insult or at least wasn\u2019t intended as one, anyway.<\/p>\n Ware<\/a> wasn\u2019t dismissing either quarterback\u2019s abilities or suggesting they can\u2019t make it at the next level. He was pointing out what scouts are already talking about \u2014 both Castellanos and Pavia have skill sets that translate extremely well to the CFL\u2019s wide-open, run-and-shoot style of play.<\/p>\n Castellanos is a 5-foot-9 dual-threat quarterback who thrived at Boston College<\/a> before Bill O\u2019Brien<\/a> benched him midseason, and he transferred to Florida State. In his 2023 season with the Eagles, he threw for 2,248 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 1,113 yards and 13 scores. He led all FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards that season and was one of just two quarterbacks \u2014 along with Heisman winner Jayden Daniels<\/a> \u2014 to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000.<\/p>\n Pavia is similarly dynamic. The 5-foot-11 Vanderbilt quarterback has led the Commodores to a 9-2 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff conversation. He\u2019s thrown for over 2,900 yards and 26 touchdowns this season while adding 661 rushing yards and eight more scores on the ground. He beat Alabama<\/a>, upset Auburn<\/a> three times in his career, and just broke Vanderbilt<\/a>\u2018s single-game passing record with 484 yards against Kentucky<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n Both quarterbacks are mobile and creative, and they excel when plays break down. Those traits play extremely well in the CFL, where the field is wider, there are 12 players on each side, and the emphasis is on spacing and speed rather than power. The league has been a proving ground for undersized, athletic quarterbacks who didn\u2019t fit the traditional NFL mold.<\/p>\n Ware wasn\u2019t saying Castellanos and Pavia can\u2019t play in the NFL. He was saying they have options. If the NFL route doesn\u2019t work out immediately, both quarterbacks have the skill sets to go north, dominate for years, and potentially earn another shot at the league. Ware did it himself, backing up Flutie in Toronto before brief stints with the Raiders and in NFL Europe.<\/p>\n Castellanos and Pavia both have NFL aspirations \u2014 that\u2019s the ultimate goal for any college quarterback with their talent. But if that path doesn\u2019t open up right away, they have the athleticism, arm talent, and football IQ to thrive in a league that values exactly what they do best.<\/p>\n \t