Boston College has the third best rushing quarterback in the country and Eagles head coach Jeff Hafley feels that’s too much of a good thing.

BC dual threat signal caller Thomas Castellanos has 512 rushing yards, good for third in FBS by a quarterback, on 98 attempts with seven touchdowns.

Castellanos averages 5.1 yards per carry and 83.3 per game. The sophomore transfer from Central Florida is also one of three quarterbacks in FBS to pass for over 1,000 yards and rush for over 500.

Castellanos enjoyed a career day running the football in BC’s 27-24 win over Army on a bad weather day at West Point on Oct. 7. Castellanos rushed for 142 net yards on 31 carries with four touchdowns.

Hafley is counting on his stable of suddenly healthy tailbacks to take greater control of the rushing duties when the Eagles (3-3, 1-2) confront the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech (3-3, 2-1) on Saturday (noon) at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“I think we did a good job of that last week and I think our backs had over 120 yards rushing,” said Hafley. “We definitely need to do that. We can’t go into a games thinking were are going to run our quarterback 31 times.

“That I hope was a one-time deal on a rainy day. But you have to rely on your running backs and wideouts and play complementary football. There are going to be games Thomas’ legs are going to carry us and then will be games with our backs.”

Castellanos has elevated the BC running game from the depths of the ACC a year ago. BC was last in the conference and all of FBS in rushing yards, averaging 63.2 per game. After six games this season, with back-to-back wins over Virginia and Army, BC is second in the ACC, averaging 193.7 yards per game.

The Eagles’ 321 net rushing yards at Army did inflate their rushing numbers and there were significant contributions from the running backs. Graduate student Pat Garwo rushed for 111 yards on 14 carries for a 7.9 yards per rush average while Alex Broome added 38 on eight carries.

Garwo notched the fifth 100-yard of his career and has 270 on the season with a touchdown. Transfer Kye Robichuax stepped up when Garwo was injured earlier in the campaign and has registered 218 yards with two touchdowns. All three backs have been helpful to Castellanos on checkdowns and screen passes, combining for 75 yards on 11 receptions with a touchdown.

“We’ve got some big backs and some smaller guys and we are getting healthy there and we have a real good O-line,” said Hafley. “You can see it. The holes have been really big and we have changed up a little more this year.

“There are more gap schemes where we are getting down hill on people. But at the same time, we have the quarterback run element where we can kind of hit you on the edge and pop one in the middle, too. We are going to need our backs. We can’t keep relying on our quarterback running.”

Twenty-six seconds into the second half of last week’s preseason game against the 76ers, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made a surprisingly quick substitution. After the first play, he sent Lamar Stevens to the scorer’s table to take out Dalano Banton.

As Banton walked back to the bench, Mazzulla had some words to say to him. He wasn’t happy.

On the previous play, Banton didn’t dive on a loose ball, which resulted in a jump ball and an extra 76ers possession. Mazzulla used the opportunity as a teaching moment to emphasize to the new Celtics guard the importance of playing hard. While the substitution was unusual, Banton felt it was warranted.

“I can’t say it was surprising,” Banton told the Herald. “I feel like it was deserving.”

To his credit, Banton processed the moment well. When he re-entered the game later in the third quarter, he played with energy. Mazzulla later praised Banton’s reception to a difficult moment.

“He has a chance to be a really good player in this league, and I just love the mentality that he brought to being coached and then responding,” Mazzulla said. “That’s super important, and thankful that he allowed me to coach him.”

Banton was grateful for how Mazzulla coached him in that moment.

“I appreciate Joe and how he coaches me,” Banton said. “I just feel like he holds me to a high expectation, to a high standard to be able to play hard and play for every possession. Make every possession count. So, whether that’s diving on a loose ball or running to the corner, I feel like I need to do that 100 percent when I’m on the floor, and that’s what’s going to help me be successful. …

“It’s a good feeling as well. You never want to get subbed out of the game, but to go back in and try to do what your coach is asking of you and try to make up for it. So, it’s never something to hang your head on. He always preaches, ‘You can have a bad moment. It’s just how long you stay in that moment.’”

For Banton, it was a good reminder of the consistent effort that will be required of him in order to fill a role on this championship-ready Celtics team. At 6-foot-9, Banton possesses a unique skill set on both ends. He can play point guard. He can fill some backup wing minutes. He’s a long, versatile defender. He flashed his scoring ability with a 20-point effort against the Knicks last week. He’s earned some minutes alongside the Celtics’ regulars during the preseason. The team clearly thinks highly of him.

But nothing is guaranteed. The 23-year-old’s contract is partially guaranteed. The Celtics have high-end talent with a clear top six, and there’s a real fight for playing time behind them. In Tuesday’s preseason win over the Knicks, which seemed to be a full dress rehearsal, Mazzulla’s rotation behind those six included Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet. Banton didn’t appear until the fourth quarter, when the starters rested. His role is unclear at this point, but getting on the floor starts with consistent effort on both ends.

“It’s something that I know I need to do,” Banton said.

Banton played the first two seasons of his career with the Raptors, where playing time was inconsistent. The guard – who went to high school in Massachusetts at the MacDuffie School in Granby and Redemption Christian Academy in Northfield – joined the Celtics this offseason with an eye on being part of something greater as part of a historic franchise.

“You come in, you feel the history,” Banton said. “It feels like you have to work hard. It feels like you know what was here before you, so you have to take pride in being a Celtic. It’s not just an organization, you have to really live it.”

Banton, a Toronto native, said he initially thought about playing for Team Canada at the FIBA World Cup before he realized it was more important to get to Boston early to get acclimated with his new team. He arrived shortly after summer league in July when he started working out at the facility with several other Celtics players who passed through over the summer.

“It was definitely a priority to get here early,” Banton said.

Banton certainly hopes that extra work will pay off for him. What does he think he can add to the Celtics?

“Being versatile, being able to switch on defense, playing aggressive, playing hard, playing with pace,” Banton said. “How hard I play is going to get me on the floor, and being able to guard, taking some of the pressure off these guys. Just being able to put my best foot forward every day.”

With a valuable teaching moment along the way.

“I learned my lesson,” Banton said. “I’ll dive on every loose ball from here on out.”