Florida State Offers Three Quarterbacks After Losing Top #Tribe26 Commitment

The Seminoles aren't wasting any time in their pursuit of a new quarterback.
Landon Duckworth/Twitter

Florida State's 2026 recruiting class took a big hit on Sunday as four-star quarterback Brady Smigiel backed off his commitment to the program. Smigiel has been picking up a ton of interest as of late and the Seminoles' transitioning offense under head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn played a role in his decision.

FSU didn't waste any time moving forward in the wake of Smigiel re-opening his recruitment. Shortly after he decommitted, the Seminoles extended a trio of offers at the quarterback position. The coaching staff is targeting four-star Landon Duckworth, four-star Keisean Henderson, and four-star Bowe Bentley.

READ MORE: top 2026 quarterback Brady Smigiel decommits from Florida State

The Seminoles have built a solid nucleus early in #Tribe26 but a high-profile quarterback would only continue to make the program look like an attractive action. Florida State holds five verbal commitments which ranks No. 10 in the country.

Learn more about Duckworth, Henderson, and Bentley below.

Landon Duckworth

Duckworth is a name to familiarize yourself with due to his previous relationship with Malzahn dating back to when the latter was the head coach at UCF. He nearly committed to the Knights and now Malzahn is looking to bring him to Tallahassee instead. That bond will be pivotal for the Seminoles in their pursuit of the talented signal-caller.

The Alabama native is coming off an outstanding junior season where he led Jackson High School to a 14-1 record and a state championship. He completed 162/243 passes for 3,439 yards with 39 touchdowns to ten interceptions while rushing 62 times for 648 yards and 12 more scores.

Duckworth threw for 300+ yards in four games and rushed for a touchdown in ten different contests. He completed a season-high 24/31 passes for 535 yards with five touchdowns to one interception and added a score on the ground in a 49-7 victory against Mobile Christian High School on September 20.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 66 overall prospect, the No. 5 QB, and the No. 4 recruit in Alabama according to 247Sports.

Duckworth isn't without suitors as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin visited earlier this month. He also picked up an offer from Georgia at the beginning of January.

Keisean Henderson

Henderson is one of the top prospects in the 2026 class and he's been committed to Houston since May. That isn't stopping P4 programs from taking a shot at flipping the dynamic athlete. He's already expressed interest in visiting Florida State this spring. That'll be crucial for the Seminoles in this recruitment.

As a junior, he completed 175/263 passes for 2,689 yards and 25 touchdowns. He added 341 yards and seven scores on the ground. Henderson participated in the Navy All-American Bowl and was named the MVP of the game after completing 3/5 passes for 148 yards and a 91-yard touchdown. Since that performance, Henderson has added offers from Auburn, North Carolina. Ole Miss, and Georgia.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 15 overall prospect, the No. 1 ATH, and the No. 1 recruit in Texas in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Bowe Bentley

Bentley is a trending name nationally following a productive junior campaign. So far this month, he's picked up offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Missouri, UCF, and Kansas State, among others.

The Texas native led Celina High School to a 16-0 record and a state championship in his first year as a starter. He passed for 3,211 yards with 47 touchdowns to seven interceptions and proved to be a threat on the ground with 923 rushing yards and 16 more scores.

Bentley also participated in the Navy All-American Bowl. He finished the showcase 4/12 passes for 46 yards. Bentley has a chance to be one of the top quarterbacks among rising seniors.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 181 overall prospect, the No. 11 QB, and the No. 28 recruit in Texas in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Who Is Committed To FSU In The 2026 Class?

Four-Star WR Efrem White

Four-Star WR Darryon Williams

Four-Star DB Darryl Bell III

Three-Star DB Tedarius Hughes

Three-Star OL Xavier Payne


READ MORE: four-star 6-foot-9 offensive tackle Chastan Brown commits to Florida State

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.