Florida State lost its top 2026 commit a couple of months ago when quarterback Brady Smigiel backed out of his pledge after originally committing in mid-July 2024.
Smigiel pointed to the coaching change at offensive coordinator—FSU fired Alex Atkins and brought in Gus Malzahn—as the main reason for his decision. However, the Seminoles’ 2-10 season and the challenge of moving across the country likely played a role as well.
Interestingly, Smigiel would have fit well in Malzahn’s system. Malzahn has no problem airing it out if a quarterback can throw, and the modern game has shown that adding mobility only helps a QB’s chances of success.
That said, the latest predictions have Smigiel landing at Washington, which makes sense—he first visited the Huskies in mid-December before decommitting from FSU in January. He was also on campus last week for Washington’s Junior Day.
Recruiting analysts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons of On3 have both projected Smigiel to Washington.
Meanwhile, FSU is still searching for a replacement in its 2026 class, though they wasted no time sending out new offers after Smigiel’s departure. There was some good news this week, as four-star QB Landon Duckworth announced he would take an official visit to FSU in mid-June.
Ironically, Duckworth is now ranked ahead of Smigiel in the composite rankings, coming in as the No. 6 QB and No. 53 overall player in 2026, while Smigiel is No. 7 and No. 67 overall. The Seminoles are competing with Georgia, Ole Miss, and South Carolina for Duckworth, a former South Carolina commit who has strong ties to Malzahn.
The key thing to watch is whether Duckworth visits FSU before his official trip in June. If that happens, it would be a great sign for the Seminoles. Losing a quarterback of Smigiel’s caliber only to replace him with someone potentially even better suited for the offense—and closer to home—would be quite the turn of events. Stay tuned.
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