The Florida State Seminoles will have some new faces on the roster this season, including transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels. He's set to take over the reins behind center, but throughout the offseason, he's been able to see what the defense can bring in 2026.
When speaking to the media on Aug. 12, Daniels said there's "no doubt" that the Seminoles have the best defensive line in the ACC, per Noles247's John Evans. And for a quarterback that's been going up against this unit for weeks now, he knows what they are capable of.
This might be the classic statement that a quarterback makes to the public to hype up their teammates, but regardless, Daniels still thinks that unit is very talented.
Ashton Daniels' Florida State D-Line comments should turn heads
The Seminoles have multiple familiar faces that are back in the fold. Sophomore Mandrell Desir was their top edge rusher last year, finishing with 30 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and 6.5 sacks. He found ways to impact the game as a freshman, and that's a big sign.
His twin brother, Darryll, is also upfront. He didn't play as much as Mandrell did, but he still logged 23 tackles and a sack. Then the Seminoles added Rylan Kennedy via the transfer portal. Over 37 games with the Aggies, he had 40 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks as a rotational piece.
At Florida State, he'll get more playing time, and the team thinks he can elevate his production here. They also have guys like Daniel Lyons, Kevin Wynn, and Deante McCray, who can help be forces along the interior.
Florida State has solid depth along the defensive front, with players who can fill in for different roles. Not only are they versatile, but the speed that the defensive line, and the Desir twins in particular, has shown is intriguing.
"At the end of every practice, we put up the top five guys with the fastest speeds, and the Desir twins are on that almost every single day, which is unbelievable to see. Seeing that on the screen every single day- guys who are 20-plus miles an hour- that's freaky... It's truthfully scary for a quarterback to sit there and look at that and know that you have that rushing at you every single day," Daniels said.
Daniels getting a front-row view of what this defensive line can do is valuable. Even though he can't get hit in practice, if the defensive front is still getting in the backfield to generate pressure or slow down the run, that's fantastic.
For FSU to reach its ceiling, its D-line better be much improved
Of course, it will only matter what they do on the field on gamedays, but it seems like the arrow is pointing up. The best teams in the sport have stout defensive lines, and if the Seminoles want to make noise in the ACC, they'll need Daniels' comments to be true.
If this defensive front can be one of the top units in the ACC, it will go a long way towards saving Norvell's job. At the same time, it would give them an edge on every gameday and help change the course of the game.
When your defensive line is ferocious, it puts the opposing offense into a bind. That sends a ripple effect through the team and will put Daniels and the entire offense in better situations.
Miami and Clemson are two other schools in the conference that have solid defensive fronts and will likely have something to say about Daniels' claims. Regardless, these comments show that the newcomer has high hopes for the defensive front.
Coming out week in and week out to dominate the other team upfront is how you change a season, and if the Seminoles achieve this, there will be better days in Tallahassee to follow.
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