Florida State football just concluded its spring practices last week, and the Seminoles are trying to get the bad taste out of their mouths of having four losing seasons in six years of the Mike Norvell era.
Fans don't want to hear Mike Norvell talk about the improvement of the team via press conferences anymore. They want to see the growth and development on the football field, where it matters. Florida State accomplished that huge opening victory against Alabama, but then they lost seven of the last nine games to close the season and not even make a bowl game.
That isn't the expectation at Florida State, but Norvell will be in charge of calling plays, so he will have full control over the offense. The Seminoles will be kicking off in Doak Campbell Stadium against New Mexico State in almost four months, so I thought it would be appropriate to highlight three winners and losers from Florida State's spring practices.
Winner: QB Ashton Daniels
Florida State announced on Tuesday that former Stanford and Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels has won the quarterback competition. This will be the third season in a row that the Seminoles have relied on a transfer under center (DJ Uiagalelei, Thomas Castellanos, and now Ashton Daniels). Even though he hasn't put up eye-popping numbers, it is understandable to see that Norvell liked his experience and skill set as a player.
Loser: QB Kevin Sperry/Malachi Marshall
Kevin Sperry didn't win the starting quarterback job, and that doesn't make him a bad signal-caller. The former four-star prospect still has loads of potential that can be useful for this squad. Ashton Daniels just seemed to be the more ready option at this time, which should be the case at this point in his career. Malachi Marshall can also be listed here because he isn't enrolling until the summer and didn't even get a chance to compete for the job.
Winner: WR Devin Carter
Florida State grabbed former four-star prospect Devin Carter in the 2026 recruiting class and knew that his father (former running back Dexter Carter) was a certified playmaker with the university. The younger Carter wanted to make his own legacy, and he did just that in spring practice, where he was a dynamic vertical threat for the offense.
Loser: WR Jayvan Boggs
This isn't a shot at sophomore wide receiver Jayvan Boggs because I believe that he is a very talented pass catcher, but he missed the majority of spring practice and opened the door for more opportunities for true freshmen wide receivers Devin Carter and Jasen Lopez to come in and play meaningful reps. The coaching staff is excited for what Boggs brings to the table, but the main concern is whether he can stay healthy.
Winner: Deante McCray
Florida State's coaches mentioned how they were excited about redshirt senior Daniel Lyons taking a step forward as a leader. However, we already know how he is as a player since he has been with the program for his whole career. I was more intrigued to see how Mike Norvell referenced former Western Kentucky defensive lineman Deante McCray stepping up this spring. McCray didn't have the season that he wanted in 2025, but it sure seems like he turned that narrative around during practice.
Loser: DT Kevin Wynn
Florida State was able to retain redshirt freshman defensive tackle Kevin Wynn after he elected to enter the transfer portal. Wynn was a former four-star prospect in the 2025 cycle that the Seminoles wanted to build their defense around after Darrell Jackson Jr. played his last season in Tallahassee. However, the coaching staff has been quiet about Wynn, and it is concerning that the defensive tackle hasn't made much of an impact this spring.
Add us as a preferred source on Google