Former Auburn Tiger Ashton Daniels continued the tradition Mike Norvell has had for graduate transfer quarterbacks throughout his head coaching career: breaking the rock.
FSU Football's official X account shared Daniels breaking the rock on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium. Strength and conditioning coach Josh Storms could be seen handing the hammer over to Daniels after explaining the hard work and sacrifice required for Daniels to have won the award.
"Man, I'm excited to do this s— with y'all, let's f—ing get it, love y'all boys," Daniels said before dropping the hammer.
Ashton Daniels brought it every day of camp and broke the rock 🪨
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) August 22, 2026
The countdown is on ⏳#NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/EtglwELnv3
Norvell shared rave reviews on Saturday for the 'Noles' locker room, which was clearly positively impacted this offseason by the presence of Auburn's QB1 for three of the team's last four games during the 2026 season.
"I've been really pleased with this camp. Very few coaches are going to come in here and say, well, I hate what we just did," Norvell said. "But you know in different teams, in different areas, there's confidence that's been built through their preparation. Then there's also areas year in and year out, like alright, these are some of the areas of concern. I've been really pleased with this football team, just their mindset, the production, the growth, how they've responded to the back and forth.
Daniels took over for FSU after Thomas Castellanos attempted to have an NFL career. Castellanos had to play receiver in minicamps for the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans to have a chance but wasn't able to land a job. He received clearance to return to college football after an injunction was granted in an eligibility case being contested in a Kentucky court. Castellanos is entering the transfer portal looking for a new home and may find one at Texas Tech.
Daniels, by contrast, has the chance to transform a program that has been on a downward slope for two years after going undefeated and winning the ACC.
Ashton Daniels and FSU are playing with house money
Daniels was playing with house money when he took over for Jackson Arnold last fall. Hugh Freeze was on the hot seat when Daniels initially got the Tigers' QB1 job and was already fired when Daniels solidified himself with 31 completions on 44 passing attempts for 353 yards, two passing touchdowns, and 18 rushing attempts for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns against Vanderbilt in a 45-38 OT loss.
Daniels finds himself playing with house money again this fall. Norvell is on the hot seat, and he's already gotten his money. With expectations being fairly low from most outside of Tallahassee, there's not much pressure.
While pressure makes diamonds, in this case, Daniels could be a diamond in the rough. The early schedule is tough, but if Daniels could help FSU survive it, his leadership will have a nice shine to NFL front offices.
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