Mike Norvell is not ready to name FSU's starting quarterback

For the first time in several years, the Florida State Seminoles are having a quarterback battle as Ashton Daniels and Kevin Sperry have been competing during spring practice to be named the starter. Head coach Mike Norvell spoke with the media on Wednesday, with FSU's spring practice nearly over, and revealed that he is not yet ready to name a starter, though he is getting closer.

"I’m going to work through that part of it," Norvell explained. "I’ve seen a lot of things that get me excited about being close to an announcement, but also I've seen growth in the room. I've seen growth in the way that they play inside the pocket. We'll decide when we want to announce something. And ultimately 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. At the end of the day, that's where the game of football is. You compete with each other. And I've seen that. I'm excited about it."

Daniels, who transferred in after spending two years at Stanford and another at Auburn, has impressed in the short time he has been on campus.

"I've really been pleased with what he's shown," Norvell said. "Being able to live in the pocket and delivering the ball. I think he's shown growth through the spring on the vertical shots. And he hit a couple of the scrimmage the other day that were right where they needed to be. I mean, huge plays that supported big drives."

He is the most experienced player in FSU's quarterback room, having played in 37 games over his four-year career, including two seasons as Stanford's starter. His production has been inconsistent, with the redshirt senior completeting 60.8% of his passes for 4,783 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Sperry is entering his second season with the Seminoles, and Norvell believes he is "growing up" and has "gotten better throughout the spring."

He played in four games for FSU last season as a true freshman, allowing him to redshirt behind Tommy Castellanos. He completed 70.6% of his passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns in a limited sample size, adding 27 rushing yards.

There is also another contender coming in Malachi Marshall, who was the JUCO Player of the Year and will join the Seminoles during the summer. He won't have much time, but Norvell praised his accomplishments and said he is "coming in to compete."