Ashton Daniels has seen Alabama before. Can FSU’s quarterback turn that familiarity into a signature performance against the Crimson Tide?
Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels does not need an introduction to Alabama.
He needs an encore.
Daniels will get another opportunity against the Crimson Tide on Saturday, this time wearing garnet and gold after producing one of his better performances of the 2025 season against Alabama while at Auburn.
That familiarity could become increasingly important as Florida State prepares for one of its biggest tests of the season.
Daniels completed 18 of 39 passes for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception in Auburn’s 27-20 loss to Alabama last season. The completion percentage was hardly spectacular, but the underlying numbers paint a better picture of how Daniels performed.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) credited Daniels with a 60.9 offensive grade and 57.5 passing grade, but he also had seven passes dropped, accounting for a staggering 28% drop rate, when you adjust Daniels completion percentage it skyrockets to 67.6%.
Daniels also generated two turnover-worthy plays, but Alabama didn’t completely overwhelm him. He was sacked only once despite being credited with 20 dropbacks under pressure, and Daniels scrambled 11 times.
Now he gets another shot at Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s defense.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell believes the previous experience between the two sides matters, even if it doesn’t provide Daniels with a blueprint for everything Alabama will throw at him.
“They’ve played Ashton, we’ve played them,” Norvell said Monday. “There’s great familiarity, but it’s going to be a heck of a battle.”
Daniels Is Better Positioned This Time
Daniels enters Saturday with encouraging early returns at Florida State.
Through two games, Daniels has completed 29 of 50 passes for 327 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His PFF offensive grade stands at 65.1, with a 62.9 passing grade and 62.8 rushing grade.
The most encouraging number might be his fumbling grade of 74.3, a significant improvement from the 42.2 he posted during his final season at Stanford and 66.8 last year at Auburn.
Daniels has also shown an ability to push the football downfield. His average depth of target sits at 9.6 yards, while his adjusted completion percentage is 69.8%.
Those numbers matter against Alabama because Wommack’s defense isn’t designed to simply line up and allow quarterbacks to comfortably operate.
“They do what they do defensively,” Norvell said. “Obviously they’ve got a wide variety of things that they can pull from.”
Norvell specifically pointed toward Wommack’s ability to identify what opposing offenses want to accomplish and construct his game plan around disrupting it.
“You see how he’s trying to disrupt rhythm, timing,” Norvell said. “If there’s certain things that they try to do to contain certain individuals, it definitely shows up.”
Florida State Needs More Than Competence
Daniels doesn’t necessarily need to throw for 350 yards Saturday for Florida State to win. But he probably can’t simply manage the game, either.
Alabama presents the type of opponent where quarterbacks are eventually forced to make difficult throws.
Daniels showed last season that he can survive against this defense. Auburn remained within one possession despite completing fewer than half of its passes, and the seven drops suggest Daniels’ final stat line could have looked considerably different.
Florida State now needs him to turn that familiarity into production.
Norvell and his staff have spent considerable time studying Wommack’s defense, including film stretching back multiple seasons. Alabama will undoubtedly have counters prepared for Daniels after facing him last November.
That chess match could ultimately define Saturday.
Daniels already proved he can stand in against Alabama and give his team an opportunity.
This time, Florida State needs him to finish the job.
