Florida State coaches continue to work on the recruiting trail, although the transfer portal closed on Friday. They had been in talks with the top JUCO QB, Malachi Marshall, and got him to campus for an official visit this weekend.
We wrote about how he got to spend some time with legendary FSU quarterback Jameis Winston on Saturday, and Marshall committed to FSU on Sunday:
Go NOLES🫡 @Coach_Norvell @CoachJesseStone @CoachTuckerQB pic.twitter.com/fmw4fQsQyP
— Malachi Marshall (@Ma1achiMarshall) January 18, 2026
The reigning NJCAA Division Offensive Player of the Year led Iowa Western to a national championship last fall. He accumulated 33 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and 2,750 passing yards, while completing 63 percent of his passes.
Marshall stands at 6’2” and has a strong arm. He’s originally from Rock Hill, SC, and played at FCS Stony Brook before transferring to Iowa Western Community College. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining and will arrive at FSU this summer in June.
That late arrival will probably cost him a realistic opportunity to win the starting job, but he’s expected to compete for the backup role. His addition will add experience and depth to the quarterback room at the very least.
The FSU quarterback room isn’t littered with blue-chip prospects, but it’s filled with guys who fit Gus Malzahn’s scheme. Transfer Ashton Daniels expects to be the starter, but this might be the first time FSU has some legitimate competition in that room since Jordan Travis and McKenzie Milton were battling for the job in 2021.
I like this addition for the Noles. If he were arriving in the spring, he could have had a decent shot at winning the starting job.