2026 FSU Position Previews: Quarterback
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For the third straight year, Florida State is rolling with a transfer quarterback to start the season.
If you want to get really specific, a homegrown player hasn’t begun the year under center for the Seminoles since James Blackman back in 2020.
Spring camp saw redshirt senior Ashton Daniels beat out redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry for the starting gig, keeping FSU’s transfer portal trend going and pinning its early-season hopes on the Auburn transfer. It was seemingly a close enough competition that Mike Norvell indicated it could last until fall, but just days after camp ended, he decided to anoint Daniels as the starter.
While he enters the year as QB1, there’s a shot that Sperry could work his way into the rotation, with summer enrollee Malachi Marshall also in the mix.
FSU position previews: Quarterback
2025 lookback: The Tommy Castellanos experience was a roller coaster, hitting an absolute high in the Seminoles’ upset of Alabama and then slowly petering out over the course of the season, much like the team itself. He was a major part of an offensive turnaround that, on paper, was amongst the most productive in the country, averaging 33 points and 472.1 yards per game. Castellanos’ season was graded out at an 86.9 overall by PFF, a high-quality performance, but a refusal to take the “easy” throws, nagging injuries and FSU’s overall offensive issues in stalling out and failing to convert in the red zone kept the Seminoles from reaching their potential in 2025.
- Passing stats: 2,760 yards, 15 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
- Rushing stats: 557 yards, 9 touchdowns
Main name to know
Redshirt senior Ashton Daniels
- Career numbers: 4,783 yards (60.2% completion rate), 24 touchdowns, 22 interceptions
After “splash” additions the last two seasons, Daniels enters the season without much fanfare after putting up relatively tame numbers over his last three years (two at Stanford, one at Auburn) as a starter. He got the opportunity to start three games for the Tigers, putting up 442 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Vanderbilt and nearly overseeing an upset of Alabama. The key words there, however, are “loss” and “almost,” as he went 0-3 in his starts, including a 10-3 loss to Kentucky, though he did lead Auburn to a 33-24 victory over Arkansas after entering in the second quarter.
Daniels has had turnover issues (24:22 interception ratio, 16 career fumbles) and struggles with the deep ball, but his floor and consistency in spring practice was enough for Norvell to hand him the job. The hope is that, despite lacking an explosive element, he offers a steady hand in the passing gam by taking advantage of a talented FSU receiver room while aiding Florida State’s stable of backs with rushing ability of his own — he put up 280 in his four games last season and his 669 rushing yards for Stanford in 2024 set a school record.
Returning players
Redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry
- Career numbers: 194 yards (70.6% completion rate), 2 touchdowns
Sperry was impressive in his brief in-game appearances last season, taking over admirably in relief of an injured Castellanos in FSU’s loss to Stanford and nearly leading the Seminoles to a late victory. That fleeting game experience wasn’t enough to aid him in this spring’s competition, though he did get consistent shoutouts for his efforts over the course of camp. He’ll look to keep his QB2 spot once fall rolls around, with his competition coming in the form of an intriguing prospect.
New faces
Junior Malachi Marshall
- Career numbers: 3,564 yards (59.22% completion rate), 34 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
It’s hard not to get excited about Marshall, who tore it up on the JUCO level last season, leading Iowa Western CC to a national championship while being named the NJCAA Division I National Offensive Player of the Year. A summer enrollee who was a late addition to the Seminoles’ 2026 class, he missed out on spring camp and valuable time to learn the Seminoles’ system, putting him behind in his hopes of earning starting time this year but still has three years to play two seasons. While any success is obviously dependent on whether he can acclimate to the FBS level, Marshall’s got the tools and talent to develop into something special.
Redshirt senior Dean DeNobile
- Career numbers: 6,942 yards (65.3% completion rate), 53 touchdowns, 23 interceptions
The third of the trio of transfer quarterbacks in the 2026 class, DeNobile put up steady production over his career at Lafayette, leading the Leopards to an 8-4 (6-1 Patriot League) record last season. While it’s not likely that he pushes for significant time this year for FSU, as a two-time team captain at his previous stop, his addition brings a good, experienced presence in the quarterback room.
Freshman Jaden O’Neal
The No. 24 quarterback in the 2026 class, O’Neal signed with the Seminoles after flipping from Oklahoma. He tore his ACL during his senior season, sidelining him for spring and fall. He finished his final high school year throwing for 2,622 yards at 61% accuracy, racking up 29 touchdown passes against three interceptions.
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