Florida State announces Ashton Daniels as starting quarterback

TL;DR

Florida State has named Ashton Daniels as its starting quarterback for the 2026-27 season, following a recent announcement on social media. This decision comes after head coach Mike Norvell initially hesitated to name a starter during spring practice.

Key points

Ashton Daniels named starting quarterback for Florida State
Announcement made via social media
Daniels previously played at Stanford and Auburn
Head coach Mike Norvell initially hesitant to name a starter
Daniels has impressive college statistics

Ashton DanielsFlorida State SeminolesStanfordAuburn

TALLAHASSEE, FL - MARCH 13: Quarterback Ashton Daniels #14 of the Florida State Seminoles works out during Spring Football Practice at the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility on the campus of Florida State University on March 13, 2026 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) | Getty Images In a change of tune, Florida State football announced that transfer Ashton Daniels would be its starting quarterback to begin the 2026-27 season. The program made the move public with a social media post on Wednesday afternoon. While Daniels winning the starting job is not a surprise, just last week, head coach Mike Norvell told the local Tallahassee media that he would not name a starting quarterback at the end of spring practice. In the same press conference, the head coach also discussed Malachi Marshall, a JUCO quarterback joining the team in the summer, as another option heading into the year. “Probably not,” Norvell said when asked if he is comfortable naming a starter last Wednesday. “I’m going to work through that part of it. I think I’ve seen a lot of things that get me excited about being close to an announcement, but I’ve also seen growth in the room and in the way that they’ve played. We’ll decide when we want to announce something. Ultimately, we’re going to come back in fall camp and somebody’s going to go first, and whoever’s not going first is going to be competing to try to beat a guy out.” However, Norvell and Florida State felt comfortable making the Daniels move official, allowing the team to rally around its third transfer quarterback in its last three seasons ahead of preseason camp. Here was Norvell on Daniels a few days after the third scrimmage: “Ashton Daniels — for all the things that you watch and see, getting a chance to coach somebody day to day, I’ve really been pleased with what he’s shown in his pocket, being able to live in a pocket and deliver the ball. He’s shown growth through the spring on the vertical shots — he hit a couple in the scrimmage the other day that were right where they needed to be. Huge plays that sparked big drives.” Daniels spent the first three years of his career at before transferring to Auburn for the 2025-26 season. With the Tigers, the Buford, Georgia native started three of AU’s final four games of the campaign and made four appearances. After the year, Daniels decided to enter the transfer portal for the second-straight season and came to Tallahassee in what seemed to be a great fit for the Gus Malzahn offense. However, with Malzahn’s retirement and Norvell taking over play-calling duties, the head coach will need to marry his offense with Daniels’ skillset. Daniels’ bio from Seminoles.com:

Q&A

Who is Ashton Daniels and what is his background?

Ashton Daniels is a quarterback who previously played at Stanford and Auburn, starting 23 games over four seasons and accumulating over 4,700 passing yards and 1,400 rushing yards.

Why did Florida State choose Ashton Daniels as the starting quarterback?

Florida State selected Ashton Daniels as the starting quarterback due to his impressive performance during spring practice and his ability to lead the offense effectively.

What did head coach Mike Norvell say about Ashton Daniels?

Head coach Mike Norvell praised Daniels for his growth in the pocket and his ability to deliver the ball accurately, highlighting his performance in recent scrimmages.

What are Ashton Daniels' statistics from his college career?

Throughout his college career, Daniels has thrown for 4,783 yards and 24 touchdowns, along with 1,397 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.