Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels looks like a realistic possibility to start at quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles during the 2026 season, but Chop Chat's Taylor Devers isn't all too high on that idea.
Devers made Daniels sound like a disappointing acquisition in the transfer portal for FSU, and though he would've liked the idea of Gus Malzahn being Daniels' play-caller, he detests the fact that Mike Norvell will be holding the call sheet.
"Florida State went and acquired Auburn's Ashton Daniels, JUCO Malachi Marshall, and Lafayette's Dean DeNobile this offseason. The fan base was excited to see the staff bring signal-callers on campus, such as Florida's DJ Lagway and UNLV's Anthony Colandrea. They even had talks with Old Dominion's Colton Joseph," Devers wrote.
"With that said, they elected to turn to Auburn's Ashton Daniels. He showed flashes during the 2025 season, but he was essentially a third-string option behind Jaxson Arnold and Duce Knight. The Tigers hired South Florida's Alex Golesh, so there was a thought that he would want another quarterback like Byrum Brown to run his system.
"Daniels is a senior who has played a ton of football at Stanford and Auburn, but he has not put up the statistics to be very dynamic. It seems like the signal-caller would fit more of Gus Malzahn's scheme. However, Malzahn recently announced his retirement, and Mike Norvell is calling the plays now."
Auburn QBs who transferred aren't in better places
No quarterback who left Auburn is in a better place.
While Daniels may be in a position to start, he's not in a great position to win with Norvell, and the fanbase isn't overly high on him in Tallahassee and abroad. To put it lightly.
Deuce Knight, meanwhile, just lost his starting job to Trinidad Chambliss, whose push for an extra season of eligibility found the right University of Mississippi graduate to grant him one more run with Pete Golding's Ole Miss Rebels.
Finally, Jackson Arnold couldn't even find a Power 4 home. Arnold committed to Dan Mullen's UNLV Rebels during the portal window.
USF Bulls transfer Byrum Brown and Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti'a will be in a better position to win under Alex Golesh. Brown will be enhancing his NFL resume in 2026, while Ti'a could be the QB of the future.
Auburn is in the best position to win each breakup with all three Hugh Freeze-era QBs who left this offseason.