Florida State names Ashton Daniels as QB1: Mike Norvell turns to veteran transfer in pivotal 2026 season
Daniels has started 23 games over the past three seasons at Stanford and Auburn
Florida State named Ashton Daniels its starting quarterback for the pivotal 2026 season, the program announced on Tuesday. Daniels previously started games at both Auburn and Stanford.
Daniels was the presumed starter for the Seminoles after transferring over the offseason following a disappointing season at Auburn. The redshirt senior started three games for the Tigers, but he preserved his redshirt so he could graduate transfer.
Between Auburn and Stanford, Daniels has started 23 career games, throwing for 4,783 yards, rushing for 1,397 yards and scoring 35 total touchdowns. However, he has a paltry 5-18 record as a starter, including 0-3 in his appearances at Auburn.
The veteran Daniels stepped into an inexperienced quarterback room, competing with redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry, Lafayette grad transfer Dean DeNobile and early enrollee Jaden O'Neal for the starting job. The Seminoles also signed Iowa Western quarterback Malachi Marshall, the No. 2 passer in the JUCO rankings. However, Marshall will not enroll until the summer.
Daniels' first start will come against New Mexico State before an ACC opener against SMU and a road trip to Alabama. Road trips to Louisville and Miami and home tilts vs. Clemson and Florida highlight a difficult path ahead. With coach Mike Norvell heading into a make-or-break seventh season in Tallahassee, Daniels has to perform at a high level to get the Seminoles back on track.
Rising pressure
Since winning the ACC championship in 2023, Florida State is in the midst of one of the most spectacular falls in recent memory. The Seminoles are 7-18 since that moment, including 3-13 in ACC play. Flipping the roster last season got FSU back to five wins but still short of bowl eligibility after four straight single-digit losses to start ACC play proved disastrous.
Previous starter Tommy Castellanos was inconsistent in his first year with the program, and the Seminoles struggled to run the ball consistently. However, the defense started to find its groove late in the season, holding opponents to 21.0 points per game in the back half of the season. Four starters are back on that unit for heralded second-year coordinator Tony White.
Can the offense score enough to keep up? Much of that will come down to Daniels.
| Stanford (2022–2024) | Auburn (2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| Seasons | 3 | 1 |
| Games Played | 33 | 4 |
| Games Started | 20 | 3 |
| Passing Completions / Attempts | 366 / 602 | 68 / 119 |
| Completion Percentage | 60.8% | 57.1% |
| Passing Yards | 3,986 | 797 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 21 | 3 |
| Interceptions | 20 | 2 |
| Passer Rating | 121.3 | 118.4 |
| Rushing Attempts | 282 | 63 |
| Rushing Yards | 1,117 | 280 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 9 | 2 |
| Total Offense (Pass + Rush Yards) | 5,103 | 1,077 |
Key weapons
Florida State got perhaps its best news of the offseason when wide receiver Duce Robinson announced his decision to return. The rising senior posted 56 catches for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns during a breakout season. Alongside star underclassman Micahi Danzey (27 catches for 571 yards), the receiving corps should finally be a strength.
However, Daniels' arm will play a major role in the success, especially as the Seminoles fail to return a single starter on the offensive line. Daniels has completed a shade over 60% of his passes in his career, but he averages only 6.6 yards per attempt and has thrown 24 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. He has also added 4.4 yards per carry over the past two seasons.
There are talented additions on offense, including Texas running back transfer Quintrevion Wisner and blue-chip tackle transfer Xavier Chaplin. Notably, Norvell will take back playcalling responsibilities after Gus Malzahn led the unit in 2025.
