The Florida State head coach didn't make any splash transfer portal moves behind center. Does that make him highly confident that this group will make fans energized?
Florida State lured in three quarterbacks during January. Yet only one brings previous Power Conference experience, while the other two come from the junior college and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) realm.
Names like Ashton Daniels, Malachi Marshall and Dean DeNobile are lesser known QB options. Even Daniels falls into the category despite playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference before. Marshall and DeNobile will give the power conference realm a try in coming from the JUCO and FCS ranks, respectively.
For a program aiming to return to a bowl game and ACC contention, one would think Mike Norvell would be more assertive in pursuing high-profile QB names in the portal. His choices left many Seminole fans with a mixture of curious and underwhelmed.
Norvell, however, expressed confidence in the 2026 class when speaking to Inside ACCess on the ACC Network.
"I'm really excited about the room," Norvell explained to Andrea Adelson and David Hale. "Anytime you have a transfer quarterback in that has experience, which Ashton has played a lot of football…I think this last year you saw him, going into Auburn and redshirting throughout the course of the year, playing those last few games, you saw growth in his productivity there late in the season and the opportunities he got."
Norvell sounds optimistic about Daniels even with this other curveball: Gus Malzahn stepping down as offensive coordinator. Daniels became unbothered by the exit, however, and has complete confidence in Norvell plus newly elevated offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr.
Still, Norvell let it be known that expectations won't be low in the QB room.
"We do have big expectations for what it's going to look like here at Florida State," Norvell said. "But I've got a lot of confidence in the guys in our quarterback room."
Daniels enters the picture as the projected QB1. Norvell, however, has a pivotal returner who'll push for playing time in Kevin Sperry.
"He's a very talented young man who's excited to compete," Norvell said. "And that's what these guys are going to do, is every day they're going to show up and put their best foot forward, and push to lead this football team."
Daniels looks like the early front runner, though, by Norvell's admission.
"But when you have a guy that is older, that has experience, there are high expectations for what that'll look like," Norvell said. "And I think Ashton is excited about the opportunity that is here for him."
FSU will gain an early idea of who will distance themselves in the QB race once spring practice arrives. It's not known when the Noles will return to the field for spring ball.
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