Former Auburn QB Ashton Daniels lands starting role at FSU
Ashton Daniels, who started in three of Auburn's final four games at QB during the 2025 season, is now a starting QB in the ACC.
A former Auburn quarterback has officially landed a starting role with a new program. ESPN's Andrea Adelson reports that former Auburn quarterback Ashton Daniels has been named the starting quarterback for the 2026 season at Florida State . Daniels spent one season on the Plains before transferring to Florida State shortly after Auburn's hire of Alex Golesh as its next head coach.
Daniels appeared in four games for Auburn, making three starts. He made his first appearance in Auburn's 33-24 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, where he filled in for former starter Jackson Arnold in the second half. He ultimately won the starting job after completing six passes for 77 yards and an additional 35 yards on the ground, making starts against Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Alabama.
Although Auburn did not win any of the games he started, he brought new life to the offense by passing for 720 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 245 yards and two scores. His best games came after Auburn's midseason firing of Hugh Freeze. He passed for 353 yards and a touchdown in Auburn's loss to Vanderbilt, its first after Freeze was fired.
He also gained 367 all-purpose yards in the Iron Bowl vs Alabama, passing for 259 yards and rushing for 108. He notably did not play in Auburn's win over Mercer, as interim head coach DJ Durkin elected to keep Daniels out of the game to preserve his redshirt status for the 2026 season. Daniels spent one season at Auburn after transferring in from Stanford, where he passed for 3,986 yards and 21 touchdowns over three seasons.