Ashton Daniels made a strong first impression at Florida State football practice on Wednesday, July 29, as head coach Mike Norvell praised the redshirt-senior quarterback for his improved performance.
Mike Norvell saw a more comfortable Ashton Daniels operate the Florida State football offense during the Seminoles' first practice of preseason camp. The highlight of the day came when Daniels connected with Duce Robinson on a deep shot for a touchdown.
Florida State has a history of manufacturing explosive plays under Norvell's offense. A more reliable downfield pass from Daniels would open up the Seminoles' offense, giving them an added dimension. His 5-of-16 deep ball accuracy at Auburn last year and a career 33-of-113, 29% completion rate on passes of more than 20 yards have been areas of concern.
Norvell was quick to praise Daniels during his post-practice press conference, highlighting his ability to navigate the pocket and run the offense. "You felt his comfort," Norvell said. "There was a couple of plays that you sit there and maybe in the spring… you might try and force something into a situation, or it's the extra half second that it's going to take to the next read. Today, it was really clean from him in that regard."
Daniels' improvement from spring camp was evident, with Norvell crediting him for making the right reads and taking ownership of his reps. The downfield touchdown pass to Robinson will be the key takeaway from the first day of camp, but Norvell said Daniels connected on multiple deep balls and was smart when finding his checkdowns.
Norvell's trust in Daniels is evident in how he uses the helmet communication system with him. He said he tries to give Daniels "subtle cues," but he trusts that he'll have his eyes in the right place. The confidence and comfort shown by Daniels in the pocket are promising signs for the Seminoles' offense as they march towards their Aug. 29 kickoff against New Mexico State.
Source: Yahoo Sports