Florida State doesn’t have the luxury of waiting much longer on Ashton Daniels.
Two games into the 2026 season, the question hanging over the Seminoles is already a blunt one: can they keep moving forward if their quarterback keeps leaning more on his legs than his arm? Monday night’s 27-24 loss to SMU didn’t ease that tension. If anything, it sharpened it.
Daniels has shown the traits that made Florida State bet on him in the first place. He’s tough.
He’s athletic. He can create when plays break down.
But the passing game has not yet settled into anything close to dependable, and that’s the part Florida State needs most if it wants to survive what’s coming next.
Through two games, Daniels has thrown for 327 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He has also given the offense a physical presence as a runner, and that matters. The Seminoles have gotten value from the pairing of Daniels and Ousmane Kromah in the backfield, and Daniels fits a lot of what Mike Norvell likes to do.
Still, flashes only go so far.
Florida State needs Daniels to become a quarterback defenses have to respect through the air, not just one they have to account for on scrambles and designed runs. Right now, too many snaps end with the offense depending on his mobility instead of his passing. That makes it easier for defenses to crowd the line and make every throw feel harder than it should.
That issue is only going to matter more with Alabama, Louisville, Miami and Virginia on deck.
Norvell has kept backing his quarterback in public, and he had good reason to after investing in Daniels through the transfer portal and shaping the offense around him. After the SMU game, Norvell said, "At the end of the day, we evaluate all things, and I believe that Ashton's a guy who has capability. He's shown capability throughout our preparation and all the things we're doing, but now we've got to be able to carry that over to the game"
He added, "It takes more than a player to be able to execute at a high level in the passing game. And he's got a huge role in it, fully expect him to grow from the experiences that we've had and the guys around him and all that we're doing to get better.
But we evaluate all things. So get a chance to watch the film break down even in greater detail where the mishaps were to approve."
Daniels does have help around him, at least on paper. Duce Robinson, Jayvan Boggs and Micahi Danzy are all supposed to bring juice to the receiver group.
But through two weeks, none of them has produced the kind of passing-game impact Florida State expected. In fact, the Seminoles’ leading receiver has been running back Samuel Singleton Jr.
That says plenty about Singleton’s versatility. It also says plenty about the state of the passing game.
Daniels isn’t carrying the whole blame, either. Pass protection has been uneven, and there are still questions about whether the play-calling has consistently put the offense in the best spots. But quarterbacks take the heat when an offense stalls, and Daniels is no exception.
The bigger problem for Florida State is that there isn’t an obvious answer behind him. Kevin Sperry and Malachi Marshall remain mostly unproven at the college level, and neither has done enough to suggest an immediate upgrade. Unless Daniels’ play falls off sharply, this is the direction the Seminoles are probably sticking with.
That makes the next stretch of the season a pressure point for both Daniels and Norvell. Florida State doesn’t need a miracle from its quarterback.
It needs steadiness. It needs completion after completion, not just one-off bursts of playmaking.
Because once the schedule tightens, potential won’t be enough.
For now, Daniels remains Florida State’s best option under center. The problem is that being the best option is not the same as being good enough. And if the passing game doesn’t start producing soon, the Seminoles may find themselves dealing with a much bigger issue than a 1-1 start.
Florida State 2026 schedule
Aug. 29: vs. New Mexico State, W 34-17
Sept. 7: vs. SMU, L 27-24
Sept. 13: Bye
Sept. 19: at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Sept. 26: vs. Central Arkansas, TBD
Oct. 3: vs. Virginia, TBD
Oct. 9: at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN, Friday)
Oct. 17: at Miami, TBD
Oct. 24: Bye
Oct. 31: vs. Clemson, TBD
Nov. 7: at Boston College, TBD
Nov. 13: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN, Friday)
Nov. 21: vs. NC State, TBD
Nov. 27: vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m. (ABC, Friday)
In Other News...
FSU Fans Are Confronting One Brutal Mike Norvell Reality
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached the point where the frustration is no longer just about one bad stretch or one disappointing season. Seven years into the job, the Seminoles are staring at a 39-35 record under his watch, and the recent slide has made the conversation around the program feel heavier than it did even a year ago. What once looked like a long-term build now has fans weighing patience against the reality of how long the skid has lasted.
Money only makes that conversation harder to ignore. Norvells 2024 extension runs through 2031 and includes a modest base salary with supplemental income that rises each year, but the real issue is the buyout, which sits around $46.7 million. That kind of number puts Florida State in a familiar college football bind: even when a program starts asking tough questions about direction, the cost of making a change can be almost as daunting as standing pat. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell's Future Just Became A Tough Florida State Debate
Florida States recent slide has turned Mike Norvells tenure into one of the more complicated discussions in the sport, because this is no longer just about wins and losses. The Seminoles are coming off a 13-1 season, but the stretch since then has been rough, with an 8-18 record overall and a 3-14 mark in ACC play, a downturn that has changed the temperature around the program in a hurry.
The harder part for Florida State is what comes next, because Norvells long-term contract is a major financial commitment. His 8-year, $84 million extension carries a buyout estimated at around $45 million if the school were to move on, which means the universitys decision may hinge as much on the rest of this season as on the frustration already building in the fan base. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Fans Have A Costly Portal Question After Week 1
Florida States Week 1 loss did more than dent the record. It reopened the conversation around a roster that was supposed to look like a major investment, especially with roughly $24 million tied up in NIL funds and a ranking that placed the Seminoles 26th in college football. After the opener, the concerns were easy to spot: the secondary had issues, the offense never fully settled in, and the price tag attached to the roster suddenly felt like part of the story.
Mike Norvell is now dealing with the kind of scrutiny that comes when expectations and production drift apart early. High-value additions such as quarterback Ashton Daniels and running back Quintrevion Wisner have not matched the hope that came with their arrival, and the debate around which transfers were worth the spending is only getting louder. For a fan base already frustrated by the loss, the lingering portal question is no longer just about who came in, but whether the Seminoles spent in the right places at all. [Read more 🡒]