CHARLOTTE — Florida State’s Tommy Castellanos feels he is misunderstood.

He said on Day 2 of the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte that he was not trying to disrespect anyone by his comments about Alabama and the ACC in an interview by On3 Sports last month.

“A lot of people thought it was disrespect, but it’s no disrespect,” said Castellanos, who transferred from Boston College to Florida State in the off-season.

In his interview with On3, Castellanos said, “I feel like I tore the ACC up by my damn self for the last two years, and now I’m with a squad.”

Castellanos and the Seminoles are sticking with what he said and have doubled down on his comments.

“We definitely stand on that,” he said.

The newest Seminole said former players have reached out and have supported his comments.

“This is the old Florida State. This is how grimy and tough we were. We were not scared of nobody,” he said. “We were always talking smack. We were always putting fear in people’s hearts. I just want to reinstall what Florida State used to be and bring back that standard and confidence of making people fear us.”

Castellanos’ confidence comes on the heels of the Seminoles’ 2-10 campaign in 2024. No one was fearing the ‘Noles last year, who produced their worst season since 1976.

“I have a lot of talented guys around me. This is the most talented team that I have been a part of,” he said. “I am not saying that to bash BC (Boston College) or anything like that, but Florida State is recruiting different guys than Boston College… You guys know how it goes. I am around some talented players and a lot of real dudes.

“We are all desperate, and like Coach (Norvelle) said, ‘We did have success. We had things that happened in our past and in our careers and this is the only shot we got.’ Everybody is desperate and everything is going to be important to this season.’ I really believe that and that is what makes me so confident.”