Florida State’s first preseason scrimmage of 2026 arrives Tuesday, Aug. 4, and it gives the Seminoles their first real chance to see where things stand inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
That matters for more than just the football. This is the first time the program’s 57 new players - 34 prep signees and 23 transfers - will experience Doak as part of the team.
It’s also the first of three scrimmages expected to take place there, weather permitting, after rain kept FSU from scrimmaging inside the stadium last season. The Seminoles also have another scrimmage scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 9, after three days of practice in Jacksonville.
Quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker made it clear why the setting matters.
"I think it's huge. It's an opportunity for our guys to get in there before the season.
Just to feel it, be around it, and for the guys to understand the importance of what that stadium is, all the success that's been in that stadium," Tucker said. "From that side its huge for our players.
For our coaches as well. It's different going from a practice field to a game field."
The biggest focus, though, will be Ashton Daniels. The starter is getting his first chance to run the offense in a game-like environment, and he’s already drawn praise from both Mike Norvell and Tucker for how he’s developed early in camp. Now the next step is seeing how that translates when the offense has to function under scrimmage conditions.
Tucker said the standard for Daniels and the rest of the quarterback room goes beyond clean throws and good decisions.
"Continued leadership," Tucker said of his expectations for the Qb's. "When we step into Doak, that's important to us.
To give them a little feel for what a game day feels like, and the preparation behind that... Just going out there and playing the quarterback position the right way.
Taking control, from the sideline to the field, doing the things we ask them to do."
Daniels is locked in as the starter, but the battle behind him is still alive. Redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry pushed him in the spring before settling into the No. 2 role, and JUCO transfer Malachi Marshall has since arrived and made enough of an impression to put pressure on Sperry. How the two handle the reps, and how often each one is asked to operate the offense, should help show where that competition stands.
The offense’s test won’t stop there. It will be going against a defense the Seminoles are trying to shape around Tony White’s 3-3-5, and that unit brings its own questions and energy into the scrimmage.
The running backs and linebackers have already been going at it in practice, and running backs coach Kam Martin said pass protection is one area he wants to see sharpened when the contact ramps up.
"You've got to throw the first punch. You watch boxers, Floyd Mayweather and them, they throw the first punch. I feel like pass pro goes hand in hand with boxers," Martin said.
"You've got to be willing. You can't go in there being soft; you can't go in there timid.
You've got to go in there and attack. Sometimes in pass pro, you're going to take some L's, but you get your butt back up and keep chopping."
That linebacker group, led by Chris Jones and freshman Izayia Williams, has already stood out to running back Ousmane Kromah.
"They went out and got some guys," Kromah said about the linebackers. "I love it. Realistically, competition is what we need to get better."
Up front, Florida State will also be sorting through combinations on the offensive line, and that group’s performance could shape how smoothly the offense moves throughout the scrimmage. On the other side, the defensive front remains a question mark, even with coaches praising its "explosiveness." The line’s size, effort and ability to match up with a reenergized backfield could end up driving the whole night.
For Florida State, that makes Tuesday more than just another preseason practice. It’s the first chance to see the new roster inside Doak, the first live look at Daniels directing the offense there, and one of the clearest early snapshots of how this team is coming together.
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