Florida State has added a proven leg to its roster, landing Australian punter Daniel Hughes out of the transfer portal.
Hughes comes to Tallahassee after spending last season with New Mexico, where he started 12 games and earned Ray Guy semifinalist honors in 2025. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound specialist also picked up honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition, and he still has three years of eligibility left.
The Seminoles are reshaping the roster around Mike Norvell, and special teams has been part of that overhaul. Florida State lost 35 players to the transfer portal, including 2025 starting punter Mac Chiumento, who transferred to Miami. Norvell has brought in 24 players of his own, with five of them listed as special teams additions, including two punters in Hughes and Carter Jula from UNLV.
Hughes’ numbers at New Mexico were strong. He punted 41 times for 1,863 yards, averaged 45.4 yards per punt and placed 13 kicks inside the 20.
He also had 13 punts of more than 50 yards, with a long of 64 yards against San Jose St. New Mexico finished No. 10 nationally with 43.02 net yards per punt.
Before his time with the Lobos, Hughes played junior college football at City College of San Francisco in 2024. In 10 games there, he had 49 punts and averaged 37.3 yards per punt while forcing 13 fair catches and two touchbacks.
His path to American football is unusual even by transfer-portal standards. Hughes attended Mount Erin College in Melbourne, Australia, and grew up playing Australian football rather than the American game.
He later played in the Victorian League for the Northern Bullants in 2021 and 2022. He also attended ProKick Australia, the program that trains Australian players for the American kicking game and has produced six current NFL starting punters.
Off the field, Hughes sold his construction company in Australia before moving to the United States. He has 49,000 Instagram followers, is making money through Instagram NIL opportunities, and arrives at Florida State with a 4.0 grade point average.
Hughes said last year in an interview with Albuquerque’s KRQE 13 that he had manifested winning the Ray Guy Award a year ago and got a tattoo of titular punter on his stomach.
“I know it sounds arrogant but if you’re not trying to be the best here, what’s the point?” said Hughes. “If you’re not trying to put up the best numbers possible and do all the team stuff, why bother?”
In Other News...
Tommy Castellanos Eyes College Football Return Amid Eligibility Twist
Tommy Castellanos path back to college football has opened up in a way few could have expected. The former Florida State quarterback, who previously was unable to secure an NCAA waiver and then went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, is now reportedly exploring a return after a Colorado judge issued a preliminary injunction tied to the Class of 2022s eligibility status.
The ruling challenges the NCAAs new 5-for-5 eligibility model, and Castellanos is among the players potentially affected by the change. His agent said multiple schools have shown interest, leaving the next step still unsettled as the broader fight over who gets another season continues to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Addressed One Of Its Most Frustrating Problems
Florida State has spent plenty of time trying to solve its kicking issues, and the latest move gives the program another experienced option. The Seminoles signed former Oklahoma State kicker Gabe Panikowski out of the transfer portal, adding a player with one year of eligibility left who has already proven he can be productive at the college level.
Panikowskis resume includes a Fred Mitchell Award at Idaho State and an All-American honor, which helps explain why Florida State moved quickly after losing two kickers to the portal following the 2025 season. The Seminoles are clearly looking for a steadier answer on special teams, and Panikowski joins another new signee, Connor McAneney, in a group that now has a chance to reset a frustrating part of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mandrell Desir Carries Huge Expectations Into Florida States Next Defensive Test
Mandrell Desir arrived at Florida State with buzz, then backed it up with a freshman season that made people around the program take notice. Even while working in limited snaps, the defensive lineman led the Seminoles with 6.5 sacks and 24 pressures, a production spike that helps explain why the expectations around him have climbed so quickly heading into the next defensive test.
Bradyn Welch-Joiner, a transfer center and Desirs teammate, went even further in praising the young lineman, seeing him as a potential first-round NFL draft pick if the upward trend continues. There is still work to do in the areas scouts care about most, including balance, strength and run defense, but Florida State got an important piece of news when Desir and his twin brother Darryll both entered the transfer portal and then returned for the upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]