Mike Norvell Is Excited For FSU Quarterback Who Arrives This Summer

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State finished its final day of spring camp on Wednesday with practice No. 15 in helmets and shells as the Seminoles transition into player-run workouts over the summer.

There has been a legitimate optimism about the ongoing quarterback competition between Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels and redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry this spring. However, for head coach Mike Norvell, that optimism will have to carry over into fall camp as he opted not to name a starter before the Seminoles return to team practices this fall.

The talk surrounding Sperry and Daniels may have overshadowed an option for Norvell: a highly touted player who won't arrive on campus until summer.

Malachi Marshall Adds Another Variable to Unsettled QB Room

“He was somebody that really kind of jumped on our radar midway to the end of last year… I thought his game was something that really got me excited," Norvell said of JUCO transfer Malachi Marshall on Wednesday.

Marshall isn’t just another name entering the room. The Iowa Western Community College product earned JUCO Division I Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-American honors in 2025 after throwing for 2,750 yards and 33 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, adding three more scores as a runner.

“He’s coming in to compete," Norvell continued. "When you come in the summer, it’s a lot in a short period of time, and he’s going to lack some of the overall reps."

With former four-star recruit Jaden O’Neal out for the season, that leaves Ashton Daniels, Kevin Sperry, Dean DeNobile, and Malachi Marshall vying for the starting role. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native led the JUCO ranks in passing touchdowns and efficiency in 2025 while finishing second in passing yards, adding another talented arm to the mix.

For Norvell and the coaching staff, that is exactly the kind of player that they want, and given Norvell's resume with starting quarterbacks, no job is solidified even well into the season.

“We’re going to come back in fall camp, and somebody’s going to go first. And whoever’s not going first is going to be competing to beat a guy out," Norvell said. "That’s where the game of football is."

The advice Norvell gave to Marshall was simple: come in and be all that you can.

"He’s hungry, and he’s excited to be here. I told him just come in and be all that you can."

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

The Florida State Seminoles football team practice for the upcoming season Thursday, April 9, 2026. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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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