FSU football season preview: New faces, new expectations

After Florida State football conquered the University of Alabama 31-17 in last year's season opener, the Seminoles appeared poised for a strong season. However, after going winless on the road for the second consecutive season, FSU finished 5-7. This marked the fourth time in six seasons the 'Noles failed to qualify for a bowl game under head coach Mike Norvell.

With over 57 new players, there are numerous individuals looking to make an immediate impact, including redshirt senior quarterback Ashton Daniels, freshman linebacker Izayia Williams, junior linebacker Chris Jones, and redshirt senior kicker Gabe Panikowski. The Garnet and Gold now look not to erase the past, but to learn from it and apply those lessons to their 2026 campaign.

"I think we had a lot of self-inflicted wounds [last year]," senior wide receiver Duce Robinson said at the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Media Day press conference on July 15. "This year … I think we have all of the talent in the world … we're hungry to prove we are much better than everyone is projecting us."

Daniels is a high-volume passer with the ability to navigate out of the pocket and create opportunities on the run. He had limited action in the 2025 season, appearing in four games for Auburn University, but best displayed his dual-threat ability against No. 16 Vanderbilt University and No. 10 Alabama.

Between the two games, Daniels combined for 612 passing yards with a completion rate of 59 percent on 83 attempts. He also notched 197 rushing yards on 41 attempts. Daniels is looking to bring that same poise as Florida State's starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

"I know I believe in myself," Daniels said at a press conference on Aug. 13. "I have the confidence in myself to go out there and even when I'm not playing well, to flush it and continue to build on that and make better plays."

Williams is a former four-star prospect who is coming off a torn ACL ahead of his high school senior season. In 2024, he notched 125 tackles, four sacks, and one interception. With room to be a starter, Williams earned a selection on ESPN analyst Billy Tucker's "51 freshmen poised to make an impact during the 2026 college football season" list .

"[Williams] very first rep: speed, explosive, violent," Norvell said at a press conference on July 29. "He's got the skill set, the traits. He definitely looked the part in the first day of pads."

Chris Jones looks to bolster Seminole defense

Jones, a transfer from Southern Mississippi University, ranked seventh in total tackles with 134 last season. He is a sideline-to-sideline run stopper, which will be crucial for a Seminoles defense that surrendered an average of 214.6 rushing yards per game in its last three games of 2025.

"I feel like this year we have more intensity, more strength to the ball," Jones said at a press conference on Aug. 11. "[Linebacker] coach [Ernie] Sims says all the time, 'solve your mistakes with violence,' and that's what we try to do every day; [we] try to fly to the ball as a unit."

A fresh leg for Florida State's special teams

Panikowski did not appear in a game last season, but brings proven accuracy to Tallahassee, as the kicker went 15-for-15 on field goals with a career long of 55 yards for Idaho State University in 2024. The fifth-year transfer placekicker is looking to bolster FSU's special teams unit, which ranked second to last in the ACC in field goal efficiency last season, converting 12-of-19 attempts.

"Preparation creates confidence, and I can say with certainty that I have prepared myself for this opportunity," Panikowski said at a press conference on Aug. 13. "One snap, one hold, [and] one kick at a time."

The 'Noles possess what ESPN considers the hardest strength of schedule in the ACC and the 22nd hardest schedule in the nation. The Garnet and Gold will face marquee matchups against Alabama, Clemson University, the University of Florida, and the 2025 national champion runner-up University of Miami.

"We understand the expectation," Norvell said at the ACC Media Day press conference on July 15. "There's no person or place that has higher expectations than we have being part of this program; making sure we're doing things the right way, the Florida State way, competing for championships, in all things that we do."

Florida State kicks off its 2026 season against New Mexico State University at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on August 29 at 7 p.m.

Hunter Milligan is a Senior Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.