The Florida State Seminoles quarterback battle is over. Reports indicate that head coach Mike Norvell is naming Ashton Daniels as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2026 season.
“News: I have been told Ashton Daniels has been named Florida State’s starting quarterback. Announcement should be coming shortly,” Andrea Adelson of ESPN wrote. It has been trending in this direction, so not a huge shock, but important for FSU to have a starter named headed into the offseason.”
Quarterback is a position that has caused Florida State and Norvell major issues during the past two seasons, going back to the Jordan Travis injury. Along with that have come struggles to consistently win games, as the Seminoles are just 7-17 over the last two years.
Along with Daniels, Kevin Sperry was considered a candidate for the Florida State job. In the end, Norvell went with the more experienced quarterback.
Daniels is in his first season with the Florida State program, having come over as a transfer from the Auburn Tigers. Now, he’ll be tasked with getting the Seminoles back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2023 season.
Everything to Know About Florida State Seminoles Quarterback Ashton Daniels
GettyFormer Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels
Ashton Daniels is now on his third college team. He had previously started his career as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to Rivals, with the Stanford Cardinal. There, he would spend the first three seasons of his college career.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Daniels transferred to Auburn. The Tigers would deal with quarterback turmoil, and ultimately a coaching change, throughout the season, though, and Daniels only appeared in four games. That allowed him to take advantage of his redshirt and transfer again, landing at Florida State.
For his career, Daniels has played in 37 total games. During that time, he’s completed 60.2% of his passes for 4,783 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, that’s against 22 interceptions, showing he’s struggled with turnovers at times.
One skill Daniels does bring to Florida State is an excellent ability to run with the football. He has 1,397 rushing yards in a sport that counts sack yardage against a quarterback’s rushing totals. He’s also rushed for 11 touchdowns in his career.
Ashton Daniels on Competing for the Job at Florida State
GettyFormer Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels
Now a fifth-year senior, Ashton Daniels is no stranger to a quarterback competition. So, throughout the Spring, he’s been looking to compete at the highest possible level.
“Obviously, this is my last spring,” Daniels said. “So being able to go in there and making sure that I’m preparing every single day. So when I get out on the field, there’s no hesitation, there’s no second-guessing. I’m just going out there and playing freely.”
If there was any frustration that Norvell had him competing for the job, Daniels didn’t show it. Instead, he emphasized the value of that type of battle.
“There’s always a competition no matter wherever you go,” Daniels said. “Something that I’ve learned is nothing is ever just handed to you. I’ve competed everywhere that I’ve been, so it’s not something that I look into too much. Wherever you go, there’s going to be a competition. And whoever’s out there doing the job is going to get that spot and go out there and lead the offense.”
Now, Daniels has won the job, and Florida State knows who its starter is going to be going into the Summer. That should make it easier for the Seminoles to get into a rhythm offensively going into the season.
Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell Names 2026 Starting Quarterback