O’Brien called that move “the best decision for the team at the time.” He said he brought in James and Castellanos Sunday and discussed the change.

“I really don’t see it as a big, dramatic thing,” O’Brien said Wednesday. “Others might see it that way. We have quarterbacks on the roster. Grayson has done a good job. He’s earned the opportunity.”

The Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will face a daunting challenge against No. 14 Mustangs (8-1, 5-0), who lead the ACC and are on track to make the College Football Playoff.

The game is a rematch of last year’s Fenway Bowl. BC won it, 23-14thanks in large part to Castellano’s fourth-quarter heroics.

Castellanos showed promise early this season and guided BC to its first national ranking since 2018. The Eagles didn’t throw the ball often, but they did throw it effectively, and Castellano’s growth was a big reason why.

James got the nod against Western Kentucky after Castellanos was injured against Michigan State, and he finished 19 of 32 for 168 yards, a touchdown and an interception, as the Eagles escaped with a 21-20 win. James looked a little shy and rusty at first, but then found a rhythm as the game progressed.

Castellanos returned against Virginia on Oct. 5 and dominated the first half before sputtering with costly turnovers late. The Eagles lost that game and then fell to Virginia Tech and Louisville, with Castellano’s inconsistency a microcosm of the team’s woes.

He led BC to a lead over Syracuse, then the Orange pulled ahead before he left with an apparent leg injury and James sparked a second-half surge. O’Brien said afterward that “a little bit of everything” went into the decision, and on Tuesday he made it clear the move was not temporary.

James, who missed time in training camp and early in the season with a strained lat, has improved in O’Brien’s eyes.

“He’s a guy the team really respects,” O’Brien said. – The team has a lot of support for him.

Tight end Jeremiah Franklin said he has seen James’ leadership increase, especially in practice right after the Syracuse game. Franklin said that while it’s a slightly different throw, because of the 6-inch difference in height, the change is small.

“Whoever is the quarterback, whether it’s Tommy or Grayson, we’re still going to go in and win and play as hard as we can,” Franklin said. “I expect this transition to be seamless.”

Wide receiver Lewis Bond, a close friend of Castellanos, declined to comment on the matter. He said his focus is on catching the ball that comes to him.

While the quarterback trade is a big story, it’s just one nugget in a juicy matchup between familiar foes.

“I think it’s pretty exciting,” BC defensive end Neto Okpala said. “There should be a lot of trash-talking, I’d guess. It’s going to be quite entertaining and quite fun to play them again.”

Last year, the Mustangs were 11-2 and had a legitimate shot at a New Year’s Six bowl. Instead, they ended up traveling to Boston and losing a very winnable matchup to a 6-6 B.C. in the rain.

Now an arguably even stronger SMU team will get a crack at redemption. Bond doesn’t see this as a rivalry, but he expects the Mustangs to be motivated.

“As a competitor, you play a team last year and you lose, you’re going to be hungry, you’re going to want to beat them this year,” Bond said. “There will be a little bit of that, but other than that I don’t think it’s anything.”

O’Brien called SMU one of the best coached teams the Eagles have faced. Kevin Jennings leads the way as a Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award semifinalist. He is third nationally in yards per pass attempt (9.69).

Miami transfer Brashard Smith has 140 carries for 906 yards and 11 touchdowns. O’Brien said he “can do it all” and is one of the best players BC will see this year. RJ Maryland, Key’Shawn Smith and Roderick Daniels Jr. highlights a deep fit group.

“They all have about the same amount of catches and the same amount of yards,” BC cornerback Max Tucker said. “We’re just going to play our game and get them to adjust to us.”

On the other hand, the chess match between BC’s formidable running game and SMU’s elite defense could decide the outcome.

BC gained a season-high 313 rushing yards against the Orange, and SMU has allowed the fifth fewest rushing yards per game (90) in the country.

“We’ll see what happens,” O’Brien said. “We’ll have to find out on match day.”

Trevor Hass can be reached at [email protected].