Florida State football is in the middle of its spring practices, and one of the biggest storylines is who will be the signal-caller with head coach Mike Norvell calling plays in 2026.
The administration decided to retain Norvell for the 2026 season, which is likely because they have faith in his abilities to be successful after his 2022 and 2023 seasons. It is fair to question the four losing seasons in six years during his tenure at Florida State.
As many fans saw, it matters what happens at the quarterback position. The Seminoles saw above-average production when it had Jordan Travis under center, but once he graduated and it elected to enter the transfer portal, it hasn't been pretty.
Florida State has a secret weapon in JUCO quarterback Malachi Marshall that fans should enjoy
The quarterback competition looks to be between Kevin Sperry and Ashton Daniels. Daniels is probably the betting favorite since the Seminoles grabbed the former Stanford and Auburn transfer in the portal, and Norvell likes his veteran experience.
However, one player that could throw a wrench in the battle is JUCO quarterback Malachi Marshall, who was considered the number one signal-caller in JUCO for the 2026 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Marshall is enrolling at Florida State, so he will be behind the eight-ball in the competition, but I hope that all the quarterbacks get a chance to compete for the job. The talented signal-caller is listed at 6'2" and 170 pounds and could use a redshirt year to get into the weight room as well as the strength and conditioning program.
However, Coach Norvell might not be able to ignore the production from the Iowa Western Community College standout's 2025 campaign, where he had 2,750 passing yards with 33 passing touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Plus, he added 120 yards and three touchdowns on the ground (stats from his 247Sports recruiting profile).
While it doesn't seem like Norvell should take a risk with starting Marshall, who is going to be enrolling in the summer, if he is the most talented option, he doesn't have the time to waste to get wins for the program.