Florida State still has over six months before it kicks off the 2026 season against the New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday, August 29th, in the friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium. This Seminoles team is looking to reverse its losing ways.
Having seven total wins in two years put an insane amount of pressure on head football coach Mike Norvell to be successful right away, but with contests against SMU and Alabama early in the year, he has to find a way to accumulate success in this moment.
The Seminoles went to the transfer portal yet again for a quarterback. This is the third straight offseason that it has occurred (DJ Uiagalelei and Thomas Castellanos), but it was warranted since they only had two scholarship options in Kevin Sperry and Jaden O'Neal.
Auburn quarterback transfer Ashton Daniels could make-or-break the Seminoles in 2026
Florida State went and acquired Auburn's Ashton Daniels, JUCO Malachi Marshall, and Lafayette's Dean DeNobile this offseason. The fan base was excited to see the staff bring signal-callers on campus, such as Florida's DJ Lagway and UNLV's Anthony Colandrea. They even had talks with Old Dominion's Colton Joseph.
With that said, they elected to turn to Auburn's Ashton Daniels. He showed flashes during the 2025 season, but he was essentially a third-string option behind Jaxson Arnold and Duce Knight. The Tigers hired South Florida's Alex Golesh, so there was a thought that he would want another quarterback like Byrum Brown to run his system.
Daniels is a senior who has played a ton of football at Stanford and Auburn, but he has not put up the statistics to be very dynamic. It seems like the signal-caller would fit more of Gus Malzahn's scheme. However, Malzahn recently announced his retirement, and Mike Norvell is calling the plays now.
Overall, the coaching staff will have a decision to make. Will it be Kevin Sperry, Ashton Daniels, or Malachi Marshall? Marshall could redshirt this year, given that he is a summer enrollee. Norvell has not shown much love to his homegrown recruits at quarterback over the years, where it took an injury to play Tate Rodemaker, Brock Glenn, and Luke Kromenhoek.
When Coach Norvell interviewed during a segment on ACC Network, he mentioned that Kevin Sperry was a talented young man who was excited to compete. Then, Ashton Daniels was thought of as a veteran who had played a ton of football. Given the track history, Daniels could be the starter. He doesn't transfer to Florida State to be a backup option again.
With that said, it could be a major mistake for Norvell to choose from because Kevin Sperry could have the higher upside in the short and long term. However, he has to win now in 2026, so the decision has to be quick to get Florida State back to where it belongs.