Florida State coach Mike Norvell found himself on the hot seat for long periods of the 2025 season after starting the season on fire, before flaming out to a 5-7 record and declining a bowl invitation despite being eligible via APR. Last season was Norvell’s second consecutive losing season after a sensational 2023 season during which they finished 13-1.
Norvell aggressively dipped into the transfer portal in January to retool his roster, including refreshing his quarterback room after Tommy Castellanos, whose waiver for an extra season of eligibility was denied by the NCAA in December, left.
Mike Norvell’s Future Takes New Twist
During Thursday’s segment of the “Always College Football” show, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy expressed optimism that Norvell’s Seminoles will be a good team next season, with their presumptive QB1 already known and the coach set to take on a new role.
“At quarterback, if you project forward, I’m going to assume that Ashton Daniels will be the 2026 starter,” McElroy said. “The coaching, Florida State had a bit of a shift when Gus Malzahn decided to retire. You stay within the system, Tim Harris gets promoted to O. C and it’s sounding like Mike Norvell is gonna handle the playcalling.”
“He’s one of the best in the country when it comes to calling the plays. This is a massive fork in the road, because when Norvell calls plays, you’re gonna get a little more QB integration, little more misdirection, deception. Daniels fits that role. He’s not just a passer, but he’s a runner that can really alter the math for the opposing defense.”
Norvell brought in three quarterbacks via the transfer portal in January, including Ashton Daniels from the Auburn Tigers, Dean DeNobile from the Lafayette Leopards, and Malachi Marshall from Iowa Western.
Daniels earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 76.0 after registering 797 passing yards, resulting in three touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding 280 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers in a limited role last season.
Norvell Optimistic About FSU QB Room
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Inside Access” show, Norvell expressed his optimism about the Seminoles’ quarterback room depth and the experience of Daniels, who has played in both the ACC with Stanford and the SEC with Auburn.
“I’m really excited about the room,” Norvell said. “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.”
The last time that Norvell had a sturdy quarterback under center was the 2023 season, when Jordan Travis starred for the Seminoles and led them to an unbeaten regular season and a harrowing College Football Playoff snub.
