ACC Network's Taylor Tannebaum buys stock in Ashton Daniels for Florida State in 2026

Nervousness has centered around Florida State football fans as they are hoping to get back on track for the 2026 season after having four losing seasons in six years under head coach Mike Norvell. It is understandable why Norvell is receiving harsh criticism.

This is Year 7 of his era at Florida State. You know what Jimbo Fisher was doing in his seventh season in Tallahassee? Winning an Orange Bowl against the likes of the Michigan Wolverines in 2016. We don't want to talk about the following season, but you get the point. The Seminoles should be in a better spot than where they are.

Head coach Mike Norvell had to make some critical decisions this offseason with his roster, and one of the bigger storylines was that superstar wide receiver Duce Robinson decided to return for his senior season. This was a massive development, given that the former USC transfer had over 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns last year.

That number should only increase with head coach Mike Norvell responsible for play-calling duties after offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn announced his retirement. This isn't uncharted territory for Norvell, as he has built his career around being an offensive play-caller.

With that said, it is great to have Duce Robinson back in the fold at wide receiver, but the Seminoles have to have a solid quarterback to be able to get him the football in his hands. Florida State had former UCF and Boston College transfer Thomas Castellanos last season, and he was very inconsistent except for when he played the likes of Alabama in the opener (they didn't have Nick Saban to save them).

ACC Network's Taylor Tannebaum is high on Ashton Daniels's potential in Florida State's offense in 2026

Florida State went back to the transfer portal so that they could give youngsters Kevin Sperry and Malachi Marshall time to develop and compete for the job in 2027. As a result, the Seminoles turned to former Stanford and Auburn signal-caller Ashton Daniels this offseason.

Daniels has thrown 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions during his four-year college career, which doesn't wow you on the stat sheet. However, one quality that Mike Norvell had mentioned about Daniels is his leadership ability. This is a team that needs direction.

Plenty of individuals are doubting Daniels's ability to be successful in the offense, as they think that it could be another disaster for Mike Norvell and Florida State. With that said, ACC Network's Taylor Tannebaum believes that Ashton Daniels could perform very well for Florida State in 2026.

It hasn't been the easiest journey for the veteran as he has navigated through his career. He was riding the bench behind the likes of Jackson Arnold. This is probably the reason why Hugh Freeze is not coaching the Tigers anymore, with those types of decisions.

However, the two-game sample size of Vanderbilt and Alabama is encouraging, with 809 total yards and five touchdowns. I know that it is risky to base everything on a minimal amount of appearances, but the Seminoles have to cling to anything and everything positive at this point.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow