Florida State concluded its spring practice, with head coach Mike Norvell pleased with the team's progress. The quarterback competition among Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry, and Malachi Marshall will continue into fall camp.
Key points
Florida State concluded its 15th spring practice.
Mike Norvell is pleased with the team's growth.
Quarterback competition extends into fall camp.
Competing quarterbacks include Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry, and Malachi Marshall.
Mentioned in this story
Florida State UniversityMike NorvellAshton DanielsKevin SperryMalachi Marshall
Football
Florida State wrapped its 15th and final spring practice on Wednesday, with Mike Norvell closing camp by saying he’s happy with the growth of the team over the course of camp:
“Most coaches will say they feel good about where they are coming out of spring, and I really do. We’ve got a team with a lot of work in front of it, but it’s one I’m excited about.”
Norvell said while he’s excited about what he’s seen, he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback, extending the competition between Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry and incoming JUCO transfer Malachi Marshall into fall camp:
“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 beat that guy out. That’s where the game of football is: you compete with each other. I’ve seen that. I’m excited about it.”
“Ashton Daniels, for all the things you watch and see, getting a chance to coach somebody day to day, I’ve been really pleased with what he’s shown. His ability to live in the pocket and deliver the ball. He’s shown growth through the spring on vertical shots — he hit a couple in the scrimmage that were right where they needed to be, big plays that sparked big drives.”
“Kevin Sperry has just gotten better throughout the spring. We’ve talked about consistency with him, and I think he’s definitely growing up. His growth is something that encourages me.”
“We have another quarterback, Malachi Marshall, coming in this summer. He’s going to jump in and join the room. I think it’s a really good room and those guys have done a nice job working with each other…He was somebody that really kind of jumped on our radar midway to the end of last year. We were looking at our situation, knowing there could be some ebbs and flows of what a room looks like in today’s age. His game was something that really got me excited. He’s got superb arm talent — you can see him make every throw. He’s a confident young man, but somebody that you really feel his team enjoys playing for and with. Being able to lead a team to a national championship, player of the year — all those things he was able to accomplish. But he’s hungry, and he’s excited to be here. He had other opportunities, other places he could go, but I think he really loved this place and how it could fit for him. He does have some flexibility within his clock of eligibility, but he’s coming in to compete. He knows when you come in the summer it’s a lot in a short period of time, and he’s going to lack some of the overall reps that guys have gotten. I told him: just come in and be all that you can be. He’s definitely excited for the opportunity.”
Q&A
Who are the quarterbacks competing for the starting position at FSU?
The quarterbacks competing for the starting position at Florida State are Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry, and Malachi Marshall.
What did Mike Norvell say about the team's performance during spring practice?
Mike Norvell expressed satisfaction with the team's growth during spring practice, stating he is excited about their progress.
When will the quarterback competition at FSU resume?
The quarterback competition at Florida State will resume during fall camp.
What is the significance of the quarterback competition for FSU's upcoming season?
The quarterback competition is crucial for FSU's upcoming season as it will determine the team's offensive leadership and strategy.
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Florida State signed guard JD Jones on Wednesday, adding the sixth prep player to a 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC per the 247Sports Composite:
The Seminoles earlier in the day announced the signing of four-star guard Martay Barnes:
“Martay Barnes is an explosive, play-making guard,” Loucks said. “We’ve been incredibly impressed with his game – his speed, his skill, his ability to attack, and the energy he brings on both ends of the floor. He puts constant pressure on the defense and has a natural instinct to make the right play. The fact that he’s reclassifying to join us early says a lot about his work ethic and commitment to his development. We’re excited to get him to Tallahassee and start working with him right away.”
Florida State also landed one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal on Wednesday, as UNC Asheville guard Kameron Taylor committed to the Seminoles:
Florida State men’s tennis opened ACC Championship play with a 4-1 win over Louisville in Cary, N.C., advancing to face No. 5-seed NC State in the second round Thursday at 10 a.m.:
On court three for doubles play, Gabor Hornung and Luis Felipe Miguel delivered a dominant 6-2 win over Andre Steinbach and Russell Lokko to start off the day. Following right behind, Justin Lyons and Mohammad Alkotop clinched the opening point with a similar 6-2 victory at the No. 2 spot against Louis Chussea and Mataei Cristian Onofrei.
Louisville flipped the momentum in singles beginning with a win at the top of the lineup as Florida State’s No. 118 Luis Felipe Miguel fell in a two-set competition. Alkotop gave the Seminoles its second lead of the day, defeating Hamza El Amine 6-1, 6-4. Azariah Rusher made a quick turn around on court four outlasting Pedro Cressoni 6-4, 6-0.
Florida State found the clinching win on court 2 in a crucial two-set battle. No. 117 Corey Craig won the opening tiebreaker set over Onofrei, before ultimately winning the second set 6-2.
Florida State will meet No. 5-seed NC State in the second round on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at Cary Tennis Park. Live video and stats will be available on Seminoles.com.
Following his official visit two weeks ago, five-star recruit Carter Craig (UTR 12.26 / #41 in class of 2026 / #8 in FL @TennisRecNet) has verbally committed to @FSUMTennis and will join the Seminoles for fall of 2027 following a gap year. Older bro Corey is a senior on FSU team. pic.twitter.com/2zDN9IQJRT
Florida State lacrosse will close out its regular season Thursday, hosting No. 9 Clemson at 2 p.m. as part of the second annual Seminole Spring Weekend:
Florida State enters the matchup fresh off a 14-5 win at Kent State, highlighted by two Seminoles recording six-point performances for the first time in program history. Sophomore midfielder Meg Kenny matched the program record with five goals and added one assist, while freshman attacker Summer Harrell posted a career-high four assists to go along with two goals.
The Seminoles also set season highs in assists (10), shots on goal (30) and clears (25).
Kenny and Harrell have powered Florida State’s offense throughout the season. Kenny leads the team with 39 points on 28 goals and 11 assists, while Harrell follows with 34 points, including 24 goals and 10 assists.
Defensively, seniors Superia Clark and Erin Schaefer continue to lead the Seminoles. Clark leads the team with 23 caused turnovers, while Schaefer has a team-best 30 ground balls.
Thursday’s game marks the eighth time this season Florida State will face a Top 25 opponent. Clemson enters after a 17-5 win over No. 17 Duke on Saturday.
The game will be streamed live on ACCNX, with live stats available on Seminoles.com.
No. 5 Florida State beach volleyball heads to Clearwater Beach this weekend for the Gulf Front Invitational, with matches Friday and Saturday against Mercer, FGCU, USF and No. 11 LSU:
Friday begins with a match against Mercer (4-24) at 9:00 am, an opponent FSU has seen only twice. In both meetings, the Noles managed to sweep the Bears 5-0 in only two sets per court. At their most recent matchup in 2023, Alexis Durish took court four alongside Morgan Chacon to win 21-14, 21-8.
Florida State is 7-0 all-time versus FGCU (17-12), who the Noles will take on at 12:45 pm on Friday. The last time these programs met was in Hattiesburg, Mississippi at the 2025 Beach Burg Invitational. FSU recorded a 5-0 victory over the Eagles, which included a 21-18, 21-14 win from Gella Andrew and Myriah Massey on court two.
Day two for the Seminoles includes matches against USF at 10:15 am and familiar foe No. 1 LSU at 12:45 pm. Saturday marks the first match between FSU and South Florida, who is in its inaugural season in 2026. Florida State is 29-3 all-time against LSU, with seven consecutive wins since 2023.
Live stats can be found on Seminoles.com.
No. 16 Florida State women’s golf opens ACC Championship play Thursday at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C., with the tournament running through Sunday:
The fifth-seeded Seminoles will start at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday from the 10th hole and will be paired with fourth-seeded North Carolina and sixth-seeded SMU. Seeding for the ACC Championship was determined by each team’s Scoreboard ranking on April 9.
Florida State heads into the postseason as the defending ACC Champions, returning Sophia Fullbrook and Alexandra Gazzoli from the 2025 winning squad. This spring, FSU has won two tournaments and have finished second twice. Fullbrook led the Noles with back-to-back victories to close out the regular season and was named the ACC Co-Golfer of the Month.
The Seminoles will play the first and second rounds on Thursday before the final round of stroke play, which starts at 8 a.m. on Friday. The top six teams will advance to match play, which will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.