Florida State Seminoles Football Rallying Behind Both QBs in Heated Competition

Competition breeds success, and Florida State is hoping a quarterback battle will fuel the program in its quest to right the ship in 2026.

The expectation going into the offseason was that Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels would run the offense next fall. Instead, redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry has taken advantage of the opportunity and turned this into a legitimate discussion.

Both quarterbacks are at different paths in their careers. Daniels is entering his third school in as many years. Though he bounced back at Auburn, he was quite inconsistent at Stanford. On the other hand, Sperry has a year of experience in the system but doesn't have much game action to lean back on.

Despite the contrast, Daniels and Sperry have each earned the respect of those within the program.

Florida State Rallying Behind Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry

Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. believes the back-and-forth between the two quarterbacks is healthy for the program.

Daniels and Sperry have put in the necessary work over the last few months to win over their teammates and coaches. The Seminoles aren't favoring one quarterback; they are trying to empower both of them.

"It's been really good for us. We have two guys that our team really believes in," Harris Jr. said. "They show up in the building every day, and they work their tails off. They've earned the trust of their coaches, they've earned the trust of their teammates, and you feel that with our team."

"I've seen some [QB competitions] at different times in my career where you get the team kind of pulling one way or the other," Harris Jr. added. "Our team is really rallying behind the both of these guys, and it all goes back to their work ethic and what they've earned from everyone in our building."

Sperry's knowledge of the offense has been an important part of his development.

"It definitely helps. You understand the offense big picture," Harris Jr. said. "You've been going through a year of being coached, where your eyes are going, understanding everything that goes with it. It always helps when you've been in the system. That's helped him with just his growth.

In the same vein, Daniels has dealt with the challenge of learning a new offense in the past, so he hasn't stumbled through many hurdles.

"I think Ashton coming in from outside and learning the system right now, what helps him is he's played a lot of football. His experience shows up," Harris Jr. said. "Guys like that, he was at two different schools, so he's had to go through learning a different system."

"Overall, being here and going through the system, that's obviously going to be an advantage for you, but when you've got another guy that's played as much football as Ashton, I won't say there's a huge gap between them," Harris Jr. added.

Florida State returns to spring practice on Thursday, April 9.

Who Does Florida State Have At Quarterback For The 2026 Season?

Ashton Daniels, Redshirt Senior

Dean DeNobile, Redshirt Senior

Michael Grant, Redshirt Junior

Malachi Marshall, Junior

Kevin Sperry, Redshirt Freshman

Jaden O'Neal, Freshman

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