Report: Bowling Green names Jay Kastantin starting quarterback

Assumption College transfer Jay Kastantin has been named the starting quarterback for the Bowling Green Falcons in 2026, per Pete Thamel of ESPN. BG Falcon Media, an independent student-run media organization on campus, also reports Kastantin winning the job.

As of publication, BGSU has not confirmed the reports.

The news drops on Sunday afternoon as the Falcons, in their second season under head coach Eddie George, prepare to take on FCS foe Tarleton State this upcoming Saturday.

Kastantin, who stands at six-foot-four, 235 lbs., beat out Oregon transfer Austin Novosad, a former four-star prospect, as well as on-roster option Hunter Najm (33-of-68 passing for 473 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions in 2025) for the opportunity.

Kastantin's background is fairly unusual; he did not start playing high school football until his junior year, playing at wide receiver. He would then convert to quarterback in his senior year before committing to Assumption, where he was an admirable performer at the Division II level.

Kastantin picked up 19 starts in 22 games for the Assumption Greyhounds of the Northeast 10 Conference, finishing his three-year stint with 3,658 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 picks on a 58 percent completion rating.

The 2025 campaign was Kastantin's best, earning NEC10's MVP honors and a place on the first-team all-conference roster after a season where he completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,974 yards and 19 touchdowns to five interceptions to go along with 530 yards and five touchdowns.

Novosad, who backed up future NFL'ers Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel, is the likely backup option. In three years at Oregon, Novosad was 12-of-15 passing for 99 yards, with 38 yards in the Fiesta Bowl in 2023.