When Ashton Daniels arrived at Florida State, he knew he wasn’t being handed anything. “I know nothing is given to me,” he said in February while discussing the competition at quarterback.
Six months later, Daniels has been named the starter and has earned the opportunity he came to Tallahassee looking for. And as he prepares to lead the Seminoles’ offense, one word continues to come up when he discusses the progress that got him here: confidence.
“I mean, I’m going to continue to say that. You guys are going to hear me say that a lot, but that’s been something that’s been so huge for me, I think, early on in my career,” Daniels said last week. “And even early on, during the spring, I struggled a little bit just finding that confidence and finding that confidence within my teammates, finding that confidence within myself, and who I am as a player and the things that I know that I can do.”
Daniels used the summer to focus on what he could control, gaining more comfort within Florida State’s system and building trust with the players around him.
“It’s just being confident in the guys, being confident in the schemes that we have, in being confident in our coaching staff and the play calling, ” Daniels said. “That helps me build confidence, that allows me to play fast, to play freely, and not go out there and have to worry about things that I don’t need to worry about. And I think the coaching staff, I think, the training staff, the strength staff, everybody in the program has done such a phenomenal job just also pushing us to the hardest that we can go, but also making it easy on us for the time when season comes around that, that’s just second nature to us.”
Daniels’ hard work and development have not gone unnoticed by the Florida State coaching staff.
Quarterbacks coach Austin Tucker noticed that progress almost immediately when Florida State opened fall camp on August 3, 2026.
“I’ve seen growth in Ashton’s game even from practice one to the finish up today in practice five. And so it’s really encouraging. Obviously coming off the spring, we sat down and talked through some things of improvement, strengths in his game, things to work on in the summer,” said Tucker. “And he’s definitely put in the work this summer.”
Head coach Mike Novell has noticed the same thing.
“And then I thought Ashton, overall probably one of the best days. You feel his confidence and the things that he’s being asked to do,” said Norvell. “Really like where he’s progressing in all areas. It’s been good.”
For Norvell, Daniels’ progression goes beyond his confidence on the field. The quarterback has also had to earn the trust and respect of his new teammates.
“And ultimately, you have to go earn it with your teammates. You got to go show them what you’re willing to bring every day. Who you are as a person with the good, the bad. And Ashton is, I mean, he’s hit a home run in that regards with this football team,” said Norvell. “… And so, he’s embraced the expectations and I think he’s definitely earned all the respect of these guys and he’s a guy that’s played a lot of college football, but definitely playing at a high level right now.”
Wide receiver Duce Robinson, who is preparing to play with his fourth quarterback in four years, has seen what Daniels brings to the Seminoles since he arrived in Tallahassee
“Ashton is among the best. Ashton has been absolutely fantastic with everything he’s done since the very first day he’s shown up. I knew Ashton way before. We had started to form a friendship,” said Robinson. “Ever since he’s shown up on campus, that dude has been every single thing you would want in a quarterback. Obviously on the field he’s one of the most athletic guys we have on the team and his arm talent is through the roof.”
Robinson has been impressed by more than Daniels’ physical talent, pointing to his leadership and ability to connect with his teammates.
“But then off the field, like his leadership ability, the way he connects with the guys, the way he carries himself, like the way he does absolutely everything, is exactly how you want your quarterback to be,” said Robinson. “I’m super excited to see what he’s going to do.”
As Daniels has developed confidence in himself, he has also earned confidence from the people around him and become more comfortable within the Seminoles’ offensive system. Daniels credits Norvell and the rest of the coaching staff with identifying the Seminoles’ strengths and building the offense around them.
“Coach Norvell and coach Harris and all the coaches have just done a phenomenal job finding out the strengths and the weaknesses of our offense and really studying those things,” Daniels said. “And I think the players have done that, too. Diving into the film room and figuring out what their strength and weaknesses are on the field.”
That comfort within the system connects directly back into the confidence Daniels has emphasized throughout fall camp.
Now that Daniels has built his confidence, the next challenge is maintaining it through the inevitable ups and downs of a college football season.
“Bad plays are going to happen. They’re going to happen in moments when you really don’t need them to happen. And they could happen when you’re up by however many points. Bad plays are going to happen.”
Instead of allowing one mistake to affect the next snap, Daniels wants the Seminoles’ offense to rely on the chemistry it has built throughout the offseason, utilizing that confidence that he has emobdied.
“But I think it’s really all about flushing that play and moving on to the next one,” said Daniels. “And I think that’s the mentality of our offense, being able to flush these bad plays, and turn around and go make a game-winning drive. And just continue to push each other.”