Who will start for Boston College after Thomas Castellanos steps away? Bill O'Brien drops his verdict on QB1

The Boston College Eagles have won just one of their last four games. The Eagles went from virtual bowl game locks to hoping things align for them at the business end of the season.

Ahead of their must-win game against the SMU Mustangs in Week 12, the Eagles' head coach, Bill O'Brien, benched Thomas Castellanos. Let's take a look at the Eagles' new starter and how Castellanos handled the benching.

Who will start for Boston College in Week 12?

According to On3 Sports, Grayson James will be the Boston College Eagles' new starter.

Announcing the decision, Bill O’Brien said,

"Tommy has done a great job for us. He is a phenomenal competitor. We have loads of respect for Tommy. Hence, he was not really thrilled with that, so he is taking a few days (away from the program), so I'll get back to you on that one. But Grayson James will be the starter."

Hence, the Grayson James era begins. James has amassed a stat line of 219 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception in two games. He is in his first season with the Eagles after transferring from FIU.

James was FIU's starting quarterback for the 2022 season with a stat line of 1,967 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, he lost the starting job for the 2023 season and was limited to stats of 218 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception for the year.

He entered the transfer portal and eventually took his talents to Boston. James will now get the chance to close out his junior season with a flourish.

How has Boston College performed in 2024?

Boston College's 2024 season is a tale of two halves. The team compiled a 4-1 record to start the season, but a mid-season losing streak sees them at 5-4 entering Week 12.

It hasn't looked pretty with Tommy Castellanos at QB1 in the past few weeks, and Bill O'Brien was forced to make the difficult decision. The decision comes at an interesting time, as the Eagles have two games against ranked opponents in their final three fixtures.

Their next game is against the Mustangs, followed by a home game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Their season likely ends after they host the Pittsburgh Panthers. However, three wins out of three will guarantee a Bowl Game for Bill O'Brien's side to cap off a tasking 2024.