Entering the 2026 season, new Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels knew he had a lot to prove to his new school and to the rest of the nation.
Daniels went through some tough times last season with the Auburn Tigers, starting the season as Jackson Arnold’s backup. After some poor performances from Arnold, Daniels replaced him as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Despite going 0-3 as the starter, Daniels showed enough to Florida State to bring him in from the transfer portal, leaving him as the frontrunner to lead the program. There might be some doubters out there regarding where he stands against the rest of the ACC quarterbacks, but that won’t distract him from getting the job done for the Seminole fans.
Ashton Daniels Responds to Not Being Among Best ACC Quarterbacks
GettyCOLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 27: Ashton Daniels #12 of the Auburn Tigers warms up during the third quarter of the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on September 27, 2025 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
At ACC Media Day, Daniels was asked about being left off On3’s recent top 10 ACC quarterbacks list. The young signal-caller certainly took notice of it and will be remembering it throughout the 2026 season.
“You see that stuff every single day. What separates the best from the worst is how you handle it. I saw that. I don’t care. What shows is the actions on the field. Using that as bulletin board material? Yeah, that’s in the back of my mind.”
In four games last year with the Tigers, Daniels completed 57.1% of his passes for 797 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He added 83 carries for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Daniels is no stranger to starting in big games outside of the SEC. He spent the previous three seasons before Auburn playing for the Stanford Cardinal as their quarterback. During his time there, he passed for 3,986 yards, rushed for another 1,121 yards, scored 30 total touchdowns, and threw 20 interceptions.
Florida State Enters New Era of Seminole Football With Ashton Daniels
GettyFormer Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels
The last two years have been miserable for the Seminoles, going 13-1 in 2023 and 7-17 in 2024 and 2025 combined. One of the major issues is not finding consistency at the quarterback position.
Florida State is in for a massive 2026 season with jobs on the line, including head coach Mike Norvell, who is on the hot seat. Many players are also facing pressure to perform well. Daniels is on that list to prove that he can be a starter at the highest level of college football.
Starting with the 2026 season, the Seminoles will host New Mexico State and SMU in both games. Their first major test will come in their third game when they face the Alabama Crimson Tide.
If Daniels is looking for a defining moment in his college career, it will be performing well against one of the nation’s best teams. A win against Alabama could go a long way in setting the team up for success in 2026.
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