Florida State’s second fall scrimmage sounded a lot like the first for Ashton Daniels: steady, in command, and doing enough to keep the staff happy. But Mike Norvell’s comments after Sunday night’s work at Doak Campbell hinted at the bigger assignment ahead for the Week 0 starter.
Norvell has already leaned on the phrase “ownership of the offense” when talking about the transfer quarterback, and he stayed in that lane again while adding a little more texture to what he saw.
“Tonight, there were a few opportunities that, you know, he created, and then there were a few opportunities that, you know, we can continue to grow and be better at, you know, as we're mixing different personnel, different guys. I think he's got a great understanding, control, and has been highly efficient and explosive in the things we've asked him to do.”
That last part matters. Efficiency is nice.
Control is nice. For this Florida State offense, though, explosiveness is the real separator.
Norvell is back to calling the plays in 2026 after bringing in Gus Malzahn to handle that job last year, but the Seminoles still look built to lean on the run. In 2025, Florida State’s pass-rate over expected was -3.9 percent, third-lowest in the Power 4 behind only Virginia Tech and West Virginia. That fits the profile of a Malzahn-style attack, and it also lines up with what FSU could ask Daniels to do.
The quarterback has real value as a runner. Across his career, he has rushed for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns.
That mobility gives Florida State another way to stress defenses, especially with a backfield that includes Ousmane Kromah, Quintrevion Wisner, and Samuel Singleton Jr. The more Daniels is involved on the ground, the more the defense has to account for 11-on-11 football.
That should help the Seminoles keep the run game efficient even if the offensive line overhaul doesn’t hit at the same level as last season’s unit. But efficiency alone won’t be enough if Florida State wants the offense to reach a higher ceiling.
The issue is simple: if you’re running the ball 41.3 times a game like FSU did last season, or more, you need chunk plays somewhere. Long drives can work, but they also leave very little margin for error. That’s part of why Florida State finished No. 18 in offensive success rate and No. 26 in points per drive.
There are some signs of punch in the run game. Singleton ranked No. 13 in the FBS in breakaway run percentage by PFF.
Wisner brings a little more juice than Gavin Sawchuk did last year, when Sawchuk, FSU’s second-leading rusher, posted an 18.1 mark. Kromah, though, was at 31.9% of his rushing yardage coming on carries of 15 or more yards, and Wisner checked in at No. 207 among 300 backs with 50 or more carries, at 27.1%.
Florida State also finished No. 17 in the FBS in explosiveness by Fourth-and-short’s metric, and much of that came from Castellanos, who averaged 15.3 yards per completion and played a major role in the run game.
But the passing game is where Daniels may have to make the biggest difference. Castellanos struggled to work the middle of the field, where explosive throws often live, while Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy consistently stretched defenses vertically.
With both of them back, Daniels’ ability to see and attack the middle of the field becomes a major piece of the puzzle. If he can pair that with his own rushing threat, the offense gets a lot more dangerous.
The Seminoles can’t live on short gains and hope to be elite. Daniels has been praised for his efficiency, but he’s also a fifth-year player with a career 60.2% completion rate. Florida State needs explosives, and unless Singleton is going to see a much bigger workload than his 51 carries, the backs around him aren’t the kind who regularly turn routine snaps into big-yardage plays.
In Other News...
FSU Has A Freak Athlete Fans May Soon See Very Differently
Florida State has spent a good chunk of camp trying to sort out what its offense will look like as Ashton Daniels keeps settling in at quarterback, and Mike Norvell said after the second scrimmage that the progress is there even if the whole operation still needs more consistency. Around him, the program has had a little bit of everything lately, from Eric Luallen being named the new public address voice for FSU football to recruiting activity that included 2028 defensive lineman Prince Che visiting Tallahassee, all while the soccer team gets ready to open against Stetson.
One of the more intriguing subplots, though, is Micahi Danzy, whose development keeps turning heads for reasons that go well beyond the football field. He has added notable physical growth and paired it with a standout track resume, including an ACC and Florida State record in the 400-meter run, and his athletic profile is drawing real national attention as a player who may soon be viewed in a much different way by Seminoles fans. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Landed Two Huge Chances In A Key Recruiting Battle
Florida State has picked up a pair of important chances in the race for one of the nations most coveted young defenders. Prince Che, a highly regarded defensive lineman out of Thomasville, Georgia, is set to hit campus twice this fall, giving the Seminoles multiple opportunities to make their case to a recruit who already has 38 offers and plenty of attention from major programs.
For Florida State, the calendar matters almost as much as the player. The staff sees those visits as key moments in its push for the 2028 class, and Ches return trip later in the fall should only add to the intrigue surrounding a recruitment that is still very much taking shape. With so many programs in the mix, every visit counts, and the Seminoles have lined up two of the most meaningful ones they could ask for. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Faces A Hidden Offensive Question After Tommy Castellanos
Tommy Castellanos gave Florida State a steadier edge on passing downs than the overall record suggested, and that mattered in a 5-7 season that still had pockets of offensive competence. The Seminoles were fifth nationally in passing success rate on those snaps, a useful sign that when the playbook narrowed and the pressure rose, the passing game could still function well enough to keep drives alive.
Now the job shifts to Ashton Daniels, the Auburn transfer expected to take over, and the question is less about raw talent than fit. Daniels brings a different profile as both a passer and a runner, which makes Florida States late-down offense a moving target heading into the next chapter, especially if the Seminoles are trying to preserve the kind of efficiency they found before. [Read more 🡒]