Former Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels has some believers in the Florida State Seminoles' fanbase ahead of the 2026 season. Chop Chat's Kelvin Hunt has so much faith in Daniels outperforming expectations that he evoked the name of the Noles' last high-performing QB, Jordan Travis.
Hunt shared the belief that Daniels could end up leading an FSU squad that's far better than anyone is expecting during what many view as a lame-duck season for Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, particularly after Gus Malzahn's retirement.
"Turnovers are something that has plagued FSU the past two seasons. FSU has 41 turnovers in its last 24 games, which nearly averages out to two turnovers per game. That is insane, and makes it incredibly hard to win. Daniels usually completes about 58 percent of his passes, but had a season at Stanford where he completed 62.7 percent. That’s creeping into Jordan Travis territory and would be a huge step to helping the FSU offense find consistency. FSU moved the ball well between the 20s last year, but struggled in the red zone because Thomas Castellanos struggled with seeing targets and completing passes," Hunt wrote.
"Daniels is a bigger guy who can run, and who has shown he’ll take the checkdown or complete a slant pass. Daniels hasn’t shown he can do it. However, if he can have fewer than eight or so turnovers and complete around 62-63 percent of his passes? FSU will be better than most think."
Ashton Daniels brings intangible skills to Florida State after Auburn stint
One of the most valuable things Daniels brings to the table is his ability to adapt on the fly. During the 2025 season, he started off in a system where play-calling was split between Hugh Freeze, Derrick Nix, and Kent Austin, and was the reason Nix's offense worked following Freeze's firing.
Of course, Daniels played under two different systems with the Stanford Cardinal, too. First, it was Tavita Pritchard calling plays, then it was Troy Taylor. Daniels has been adjusting to offensive personnel since he arrived to college.
What's Malzahn retiring and Norvell taking over play-calling to Daniels? More of the same, if anything. Perhaps Daniels is a glove fit for that reason alone.
And perhaps FSU will be better than many expect them to be in 2026 for that reason.