Florida State spent the 2025 season searching for a quarterback, and the list of targets was deep enough to show just how wide the Seminoles cast their net. Auburn’s Ashton Daniels, Florida’s DJ Lagway and UNLV’s Anthony Colandrea were all brought to Tallahassee for visits during the transfer portal window.
Lagway and Colandrea both left without committing, and money appears to have been a major reason neither deal came together. Florida State, according to the reporting, was not prepared to match the market price both quarterbacks were seeking. That opened the door for head coach Mike Norvell and his staff to turn to Daniels, who ultimately became the pick to lead the offense.
Daniels arrived in January, and while the decision raised questions at the time, he has worked to settle those doubts since enrolling. Florida State’s staff made the call after the other options slipped away, but Colandrea recently made clear he was far closer to the Seminoles than many realized.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Max Olson spoke with several quarterbacks who changed schools this year, including Colandrea, and the former UNLV standout said Florida State was very much in the mix. The Seminoles were the first team to bring him in for a visit, and he said he thought the move was headed that direction.
“I was leaning that way,” Colandrea said. “Honestly, I almost did go to Florida State.”
Instead, Colandrea moved on first to Georgia Tech, and when that path changed, he eventually landed at Nebraska. That means the Sunshine State native will spend his final season in the Big Ten rather than the ACC.
Norvell even called Colandrea before the public announcement that Daniels would be the choice.
The near-miss matters because Colandrea brings a résumé that stands out. In one season at UNLV, he completed 275 of 417 passes for 3,459 yards with 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran 127 times for 649 yards and 10 more scores, then earned Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors for the breakout.
For Florida State, though, the reality of the portal remains the same: the price tag keeps climbing, and not every program can keep up. That left Daniels with the job and a heavy load as the Seminoles try to pull themselves out of the rut they’ve been in since the College Football Playoff snub.
Florida State opens its 2026 season against New Mexico State on Saturday, August 29.
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Comeback Story Fans Will Be Pulling For
Ethan Pritchards progress has become one of the more encouraging off-field storylines around Florida State as the linebacker continues recovering from a gunshot wound to the head he sustained last season. He has been taking steps with a walker, a sign of how far he has come in rehabilitation, and his work has already been recognized with a spot on the Comeback Player of the Year watch list.
Pritchard also received the Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award, a fitting nod to the challenge in front of him and the determination it has taken to keep moving forward. He is still focused on regaining strength with the goal of returning to play for Florida State, and his journey has given Seminoles fans plenty of reason to keep rooting for him. [Read more 🡒]
FSU QB Commit Is Giving The 2027 Class Early Momentum
Florida States 2027 quarterback pledge, Logan Flaherty, keeps stacking up the kind of early-season moments that help a recruiting class feel real before it ever reaches campus. The three-star signal-caller led his high school team to a 62-26 win even without his top two wide receivers, showing the sort of versatility and playmaking that has already made him a name to watch in the cycle.
Flaherty did plenty of the damage himself, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns as his team stayed unbeaten. Ranked by 247Sports Composite Ratings as the No. 801 overall prospect and the No. 39 quarterback in the class, he is giving Florida State some early momentum in the 2027 group while continuing to flash the dual-threat ability that made his commitment stand out in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs New Offensive Line Hinge May Already Be Coming Into Focus
Florida States overhaul up front already has a veteran centerpiece in place. Xavier Chaplin arrives through the transfer portal as the kind of experienced left tackle the Seminoles needed while rebuilding their offensive line for the 2026 season, bringing a long track record of durability after starting 37 consecutive games at Auburn and Virginia Tech.
For a unit that has spent the offseason searching for stability, Chaplin is expected to anchor the left side and help set the tone for the rest of the front. Mike Norvell and Herb Hand have both sounded encouraged by the groups potential and the way it could come together, but the real test will be whether that promise turns into the kind of cohesion Florida State has been trying to build. [Read more 🡒]