The 2026 college football season is nearly here, and the ACC is holding its annual ACC Kickoff this week in Charlotte, North Carolina. The FSU Seminoles spoke on Wednesday, the first day of the event.
Head coach Mike Norvell was joined by wide receiver Duce Robinson, quarterback Ashton Daniels, and cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls to preview the season. All four of them took to the main stage on Wednesday to answer questions.
Norvell, who is on the hottest seat in the country, is looking to get the Seminoles back on track after consecutive losing seasons. They will be relying on a core of returning players that they have supplemented through the transfer portal. That has been a specialty of Norvell, but they have struggled with their additions over the past two seasons.
He talked about his excitement about this team, their mentality, why fans should be excited, what Daniels brings to the team, and more. Here is everything Norvell had to say on Wednesday.
Opening statement
Appreciate everybody being here. Definitely excited for the season that's ahead, the opportunity that's in front of our football team. Grateful for the work our players have been putting in this off-season.
Coming off disappointing results from a year ago, but excited about the core of this football team, the guys that have returned, some of the young players that have continued to emerge, decisions from guys to return that had other opportunities.
The choice that they made to come be difference makers and leaders within this program.
Definitely excited about the newcomers that have joined our football team, the way they've really come in and embraced the culture. Really having a mindset to leave their mark, to be able to pour everything they have in representing this incredible football program, institution, our wonderful fan base.
Honored to be here today with three great young men that will speak on behalf of our football team, guys that have truly been through the journey. Ja'Bril Rawls, a guy that I think is going to be one of the best corners in all of college football, a guy that has been at Florida State coming out of high school. Has had his ups and downs dealing with injuries, but truly has emerged as a great player, and just a wonderful representative of what it is to be a Seminole.
Duce Robinson, I think one of the best receivers in all of college football. His choice to forego going to the NFL, to come back and leave his mark here, truly just to go and help lead this football team, be the best player that he can be.
Ashton Daniels, coming in, joining the program in January, tremendous leader, somebody that is truly all about the work, great skill set, ability. Has done a wonderful job in his short time here in Tallahassee representing this football program.
We got an exciting team, a team that I think is a very talented roster. As I mentioned earlier, it's a great combination of guys that have been here, last year we had 19 true freshmen that played 4-0 or more games. Young team, guys that got throne into the fire and had to learn on their road as we went through the highs and the lows. A year ago you lose five games by one score, there's a lot of lessons to be learned. It's about taking the lessons, the application of that moving forward to go be the best that we can be.
We understand the expectation. 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.
That is our expectation as we go into this season with a very talented roster and a great coaching staff that we've been able to assemble.
You've seen the continuity within the staff when you look at Coach White coming into his second year as the defensive coordinator. Really excited about the personnel; excited about the staff under his leadership on that side of the ball. Really taking another step in our performance to what we're going to do defensively.
Offensively Coach Harris going into his second year within the program, and as our offensive coordinator has done an outstanding job putting his mark within the program as well as continuing to help develop the young men we have.
Obviously, the addition of Adam Scheier as our special teams coordinator, somebody that is extremely innovative, somebody that is going to put our guys in great positions to win in that third of the game.
It's an exciting team, one that understands all that's in front of us. We have a great opportunity, a great platform. Obviously these guys are excited to get out on the field here in this next month and prepare for it here in fall camp; ready to kick off in week zero of this college football season.
You called this an exciting team. How do you capitalize on the conflation of talent in what feels like a strike-now season?
When you look at our roster, I think in all phases, starting in the trenches of the guys up front, four of our top six defensive linemen have returned. Some guys that have great talent and ability. Be able to bring in a couple of newcomers that I think are going to be very dynamic.
You know, great leadership at the linebacker position, you know, guys that have been through it. Whether it's the transfers that have come in that have joined very productive, talented players, as well as you look in the defensive backfield. I think we have got some great play-makers in that position, and guys with versatile skill sets that will allow us to do a lot of different things.
And then offensively starting up front, we were able to bring in a good group of transfers that have joined that bring experience, coupled with the guys that we have that have continued to grow and develop as well as just an outstanding group of skill players with the receiver position, led by Duce, guys like Micahi Danzy, Jayvan Boggs, and some really impressive newcomers that have joined the program. I really love our running back room, running back and tight end room and the versatility, what we're going to be able to do. That is surrounded with the quarterback that can truly make it happen.
We want to be versatile, attack. We understand with the talent that we have, I'm not going to put any limits to what this football team can accomplish and what we can do.
The time is now; the time is today. The willingness to show up, be the best that we can be. If that's what we'll continue to do, I got a lot of confidence in the results showing up.
FSU fans aren't just asking for wins, they're asking for consistency and championships. You've obviously won one. What makes this team different and why should FSU fans be excited about this upcoming season?
I love the mentality of this group. Obviously you see throughout the journey just the margin between victory and defeat, it's a very thin line. But it's about the mentality, about the response. It's about the work that you're willing to put in, not getting caught up in all the other things that can surround you on the journey that we find ourselves on.
But this football team, yes, they are talented. What I love is their work, their camaraderie, the sacrifices that they're willing to make, the way that they challenge themselves on a daily basis.
We have won, as you mentioned. We went through a stretch where we won 19 straight games. There were still a lot of close games, one-score games. The ebb and flow of what shows up. It's the way that that team came together, the mentality they brought, how they responded throughout that journey that really set them apart.
I've seen that within this team. This is a group from the players that returned to the guys that came in, we were looking for the right type of guys, guys that were going to represent our program and perform and execute at a level that is going to make our fan base proud in all things that we're doing.
This is a team that I do believe will rise to the occasion from the coaching staff to the players, everybody involved in the program, to go make sure we're doing things to the level of our expectation and that Florida State standard.
You often talk about you know the expectation, you know what it looks like, you've seen it done, but four out of the last six years at Florida State have been losing seasons. What can you say to this fan base to make them believe that you can bring Florida State back to its traditional winning ways?
In reality, the words don't matter, it's about the action. That's our focus. I could stand up here, you could say a lot of things, but it's still about what's going to show up. That's what I believe in.
As we came into the program six years ago, there were some challenges that we faced. Those first two years, for all the different circumstances that showed up, we stayed focused on our path and the growth, the improvement, making sure we were ready for the moment. We had players that bought into that.
As you get into '22, '23 season, a couple of the best stretches that Florida State has had, 19-straight wins, being able to put ourselves in that position was something that had to be worked for. It wasn't just because we talked about it; it was about what was done.
Yes, the last two years as college football has changed, continuing to evolve, we have to be better. This past season we showed glimpses of playing at a very high level. Big wins, some great moments, but also had some disappointing results in some close games and opportunities we did not capitalize on.
It's not about me giving a great speech, trying to say things. It's about showing up and being willing to do. That's the focus of this coaching, this football team, that's my focus, is pouring everything I have into them, into this staff, into the opportunity we have in the '26 season.
As I said, I know what it looks like because we've done it. I know the steps. I know what we need to do to get back to that level. I'm very confident what's it's going to be.
A couple days ago you made a pretty good hire in Tom Herman. How important was it to you to land a guy like him as you go out there and prepare for the season knowing he has head coaching experience, a proven winner?
Being able to have the opportunity for Tom to come and join the program is something I'm excited about. He came in the spring, was able to come out to practice, visit with staff. Obviously had to compete against him years ago when he was at Houston, I was at Memphis; we have a long relationship.
For how things all transpired, we were able to visit a little bit this summer. We found a role and opportunity that I think he can make a great impact in helping support this staff, being able to add a new perspective to things that he's done, to be able to help assist the guys within our football team just to go and achieve at a very high level.
Last year you stepped back into the CEO role by nature with Gus as the play-caller. Now you're back as the primary play-caller. What did you learn last year being able to observe from the high-level view that you can apply to this year?
Yeah, I mean, I've been fortunate, going into my 11th year I guess of being a head coach. For me, most those years were as a play-caller. As college football emerged, the different aspects of personnel, being able to step back, kind of focus and address needs that I felt within the team, having a guy I trusted, was great.
And to be able to see -- you know, it wasn't unfamiliar. I had a long-lasting relationship with Gus. Was grateful for the work he did. But for me, every year's a learning process. Every year you're continuing to grow and mold, develop things for the guys that you have, putting them in the best position.
I've been fortunate throughout my career to be able to do that as a high level, being a play-caller, coach, growing up on the offensive side of the ball.
I'm excited about the group of players I get to work with every single day, the play making ability they have and the positions we're going to be able to put them in.
Transfer portal, obviously you've gone there for the quarterback these last few seasons. What did you see in Ashton Daniels and why it's important to reach into the portal?
I think Ashton is a guy that can really do it all. As we talk about experiences, Ashton has a great deal of experience throughout his college career. He's been put in a lot of different situations that he's had to work through. You see somebody that's just continued to grow.
As I did my research getting to know him, the coaches I worked with, the people around him, so many incredible qualities of the young man, the talent, the ability.
When he joined the program in January, the words then become secondary because you see it in his actions, just the passion that he has for who he gets to work with. You know, he's not somebody that comes in having to wave the towel and give a speech, but when he talks, people listen just because of all the things they see from him.
As I even watched him through 15 practices in spring ball, his continued growth. He's progressed and I think has an incredible ceiling in front of him; a guy that's a natural play-maker, can extend plays, live in the pocket, make all the different throws; a guy that has a wonderful understanding of offensive football being in a bunch of different systems. Incredible smart and an incredible worker, as well.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Everything FSU head coach Mike Norvell said at ACC Media Days
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