Florida State went heavy at the quarterback position this offseason, given that they only had scholarship options Kevin Sperry and Jaden O'Neal. As a result, they added Ashton Daniels, Malachi Marshall, and Dean DeNobile.
Some individuals think that the quarterback battle will be between Kevin Sperry and Ashton Daniels. With Mike Norvell calling the plays, a large majority believe that the veteran Daniels will win out in the end since the program has had a track record of trusting experienced transfers instead of homegrown talent.
This is the point where the fan base just wants to see the team successful again. Having six losing seasons in eight years has been difficult for individuals to stomach. The administration decided to bring back Mike Norvell for 2026, which makes people even more nervous.
Mike Norvell has a big decision to make at the quarterback position
Mike Norvell has to get it right at the quarterback position. We saw what happened when his offense was clicking on all cylinders with the do-it-all Jordan Travis. However, the experiments with DJ Uiagalelei and Thomas Castellanos (and even McKenzie Milton) did not pan out.
Fans wanted Kevin Sperry to see the field more as the season progressed because the play on the field by Castellanos was inconsistent. Nonetheless, Norvell stuck it out with the former UCF and Boston College transfer until the end.
While much of the conversation has been surrounded by Sperry and Daniels this offseason, there is a smaller portion of people who think JUCO option Malachi Marshall is the real deal. He released a video recently on his Instagram account of him working out this offseason.
JUCO quarterback signee Malachi Marshall is seen putting in the work this offseason before enrolling at Florida State this summer. 💪 #GoNoles pic.twitter.com/6PiRd0WDC7
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) February 20, 2026
Unfortunately, Marshall will be enrolling at Florida State this summer, and he will be behind the eight-ball on the depth chart and will have to learn quickly if he wants to create the momentum for himself. The good news is that he has three years to play two, so he could redshirt in 2026 and push to start in 2027.
The JUCO talent does not want to hear the doubt from other people. He was ranked as the number one overall JUCO quarterback in the 2026 cycle. Marshall has an exceptional skill set that the fan base is excited to see. At the very worst, he should be able to elevate the floor of the room and get everyone to compete at the highest level this offseason.
