Florida State football is at a low point under the guidance of head coach Mike Norvell. The Seminoles have a combined 7-17 record over the past two seasons. I never thought that I would see the day when the program had six losing seasons in eight years.
Florida State is looking to be much better during the 2026 season, but the fan base does not have high expectations. The administration decided to keep Coach Norvell for the 2026 season, and many thought that it was a bad idea.
While I am not here holding up the pitchforks for him coaching the team, I want to see the Seminoles be successful. It all starts with how the players on the roster perform. Coaches are important to a team, but the players are the ones who win and lose games.
Ashton Daniels could be the Seminoles' starting quarterback for 2026
Florida State had to restart once again at the quarterback position. They tried their hand with signal-callers in the transfer portal, such as DJ Uiagalelei, Thomas Castellanos, and even McKenzie Milton. You would think this would prompt Coach Norvell to develop the homegrown talent that he has.
Florida State has not been successful at quarterback unless it involved Jordan Travis. Those 2022 and 2023 campaigns (and even 2021 to a degree) were special to Travis. He made opposing defenses look silly. Many individuals thought that Coach Norvell was one of the best playcallers in America.
Then 2024 happened. The Seminoles were one of the worst offenses in the country, which led to a disastrous 2-10 campaign. Florida State has been treading water ever since. The program had two scholarship options on the roster going into the offseason with redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry and true freshman signee Jaden O'Neal, so the fan base knew that more quarterbacks had to be added.
As a result, the Seminoles added Ashton Daniels, Malachi Marshall, and Dean DeNobile in the transfer portal to fill the room. Coach Norvell has been asked about the quarterback competition this offseason, where it looks like he favors Daniels with his veteran experience.
247Sports' Georgia Tech writer Gavin Hart shares his rankings for the top ACC quarterbacks.
My ACC QB Rankings entering 2026, let me know where I went right and wrong! pic.twitter.com/Bf6JYPpfw6
— Gavin Hart (@Gavin_Hart1) February 20, 2026
It was interesting for Daniels to be listed as the seventh-best signal-caller in the conference. He has had the experience, but, interestingly, he included the former Stanford and Auburn transfer in the graphic. Kevin Sperry is still a factor in the competition, but many individuals feel like he would favor the transfer over the homegrown recruit.