For the third straight season, the Florida State Seminoles will have a new starting quarterback, with all three coming from the transfer portal.
Ashton Daniels battled Kevin Sperry for the starting job during spring practice and was named the starter shortly after they wrapped up the 15 practices. Head coach Mike Norvell was asked about what he saw in Daniels that made FSU target him when he entered the transfer portal.
“Ashton Daniels is a guy that can really do it all,” Norvell explained. “Ashton’s got a great deal of experience throughout his college career, he’s been put in a lot of different situations that he’s had to work through. You see somebody that’s just continued to grow.”
Daniels started 23 games during his time with the Auburn Tigers and Stanford Cardinal and has played in 37. The veteran has improved each year, completing 60.2% of his passes for 4,783 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. It was in a limited sample size, but he improved his interception rate from 3.3% at Stanford to 1.7% at Auburn.
Another thing that made him desirable for FSU was his ability to run and extend plays, while also being able to hurt teams with his arm. He has rushed for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career.
“So many incredible qualities of the young man, the talent, the ability… You see it in his actions, the passion he has for who he gets to work with,” Norvell said. “He’s not somebody that comes in waving a towel and having to give a speech, but when he talks, people listen because of all the things that they see from him.”
“Even watching through 15 practices in spring ball, his continued growth, he’s progressed, and I think he has an incredible ceiling in front of him. He’s a guy that is a natural playmaker, can extend plays, can live in the pocket, can make all the different throws, a guy that’s got a wonderful understanding of offensive football, (from) being in a bunch of different systems. Incredibly smart and an incredible worker as well.”
Daniels will have a chance to prove Norvell right on Aug. 29 when the Seminoles host the New Mexico State Aggies in their first game of the season in Doak Campbell Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU’s Mike Norvell discusses Ashton Daniels’ strengths, leadership
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By JD McCarthy, FSU Wire | USA TODAY Network
