Mike Norvell is refusing to rush the process. After back-to-back losing seasons, Florida State needs the right quarterback heading into 2026, and Norvell knows it. The second spring scrimmage showed both Ashton Daniels and Kevin Sperry still have ground to cover. Neither has done enough to lock down the job, and the head coach made that clear when he opened up about it.

“When you look at Kevin, he’s continuing to grow in what he’s being asked to do,” FSU’s head coach Mike Norvell said to the media after 2nd spring scrimmage. “Driving the ball with more and more confidence, and knowing where it needs to go and what it needs to look like. Ashton has come in and done a good job of learning the offense. There are still some of the finer details that he can grow from. He’s done really well for the bulk of spring ball. Pleased with his progression and where that’s at.”

The competition between Ashton Daniels and Kevin Sperry is still very close. Daniels is new to the team, so he is still learning the system and getting comfortable. On the other hand, Sperry is improving and playing with more confidence, especially when throwing the ball deep. In one scrimmage, Sperry led two touchdown drives, while Daniels mostly led drives that ended in field goals.

However, the scrimmage wasn’t spotless. Both quarterbacks missed routine check-downs and struggled with pre-snap reads under pressure. These inconsistent moments are exactly why the coaching staff remains hesitant to name a clear frontrunner.

After their “good and bad” performance at the scrimmage, Norvell clearly said that choosing the starting quarterback will take some time. He is not in a hurry and wants to watch both players more before making a final decision.

“We’ll see as we go through spring practice,” Norvell said. “We’ll have 15 practices. If we’re ready to make a decision, we will. If it stretches into fall camp, we’ll evaluate that as we get closer.”

Waiting for the right QB makes sense, as last year, Mike Norvell already saw their team struggling with it. Florida State brought in transfer quarterback Tommy Castellanos to make the quarterback position stronger and give the offense more stability. While he was able to put up decent overall yardage, his recurring issues with simple completions constantly stalled drives. The staff is desperate to avoid a repeat of that erratic passing game.

The team also had other challenges. The running game was not used consistently, and quarterbacks like Kevin Sperry got very few chances to play. That lingering offensive trauma is why they are taking their time. Last season, inconsistent play-calling left backups like Brock Glenn lacking confidence when forced into action. Norvell wants a fully prepared starter this time, not just the winner of a spring scrimmage.

That’s exactly what even Mike Norvell highlighted after the scrimmage.

“For us, it’s about who is owing the offense… the best quarterback is going to play,” Norvell said. “If we get to the point that we name a starting quarterback and somebody beats that guy out… that’s part of this game. It’s going to always be competitive.”

But Norvell’s issues don’t end there because, along with the QB battle, the team is also juggling players’ injuries.

Mike Norvell gives major injury update after second scrimmage

Mike Norvell deals with a major setback during spring practice as their linebacker, Mikai Gbayor, is injured and will miss the rest of the spring practice. Norvell shares the update on him after the second scrimmage, explaining the entire situation.

“Mikai Gbayor, he’s out for the rest of the spring. Nothing that will affect him going into the fall. We don’t anticipate,” Norvell said. “But he’s been a little limited, but he was impressive there. There in his first couple of weeks of spring ball.”

Losing a player like him is a big setback for the team, as his production makes him a key part of FSU. Mikai Gbayor came to Florida State after transferring from North Carolina, where he played 12 games in 2025. He made 41 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and forced a fumble.

Before that, he played at Nebraska from 2022 to 2024 and became an important part of the defense. In 24 games, he made 73 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He also already understands Tony White’s system, which helps him fit into the team easily.

He is not the only linebacker dealing with an injury. Freshman Izayia Williams is also out this spring because he is recovering from ACL surgery. Both players are still healing, so the team will have to wait for them to return. Now, everyone will wait and see how the season goes for Mike Norvell and his team.