![Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks to the replay screen at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 during the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_261,w_2084,h_1172/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/270/01jxgzqxe3ws6tw4d1eh.jpg "Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks to the replay screen at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 during the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
FSU RECRUITING OUTLOOK FOR 2026 CYCLE
Most databases rank Florida State football outside the top 30 in its 2026 recruiting class. The Seminoles' fan base feels that the program should be ranked in the top 10. After all, the team's expectations should be competing for conference and national championships.
Cue up the Chicken Little "The Sky is Falling!" meme in Tallahassee for recruiting.
The Seminoles had several highly-touted prospects this weekend for official visits. They landed a three-star defensive tackle/defensive end, Wihtlley Cadeau, from Atlanta, Georgia. That doesn't generate excitement from individuals on the outside looking in, but On3's Steve Wiltfong seems to think Florida State recruiting will start to heat up.
BAD NEWS CONTINUES
Florida State recruiting has taken a hit in the 2026 cycle. One stretch of bad news was four-star quarterback commit Brady Smigiel backed off his pledge with the program, and went to the Michigan Wolverines, who already have Bryce Underwood, whom they are excited about.
The quarterback position is something that every team has to focus on in its recruiting class. One name that I thought Florida State was losing traction on was four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth from Jackson, Alabama. He has crystal ball predictions for Ole Miss, and then started to get traction for South Carolina.
Unfortunately, on Wednesday night, Duckworth trimmed his final schools to Auburn and South Carolina. The Alabama native has cancelled his official visit next week to Florida State.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 QB Landon Duckworth is down to Auburn and South Carolina, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2025
The 6’3 200 QB from Jackson, AL has cancelled his remaining OVs to Florida State & Ole Miss
Where Should He Go? 👀https://t.co/1ownbB6Q44 pic.twitter.com/hBi2p7eA6L
THOUGHTS
This is disheartening to see because the coaching staff is putting all their eggs into one basket with four-star quarterback Jaden O'Neal (Oklahoma commit). They already had five-star option Keisean Henderson (Houston commit) that shut down his recruitment and cancelled his official visit with Florida State.
Having both signal-callers do that is frustrating to see to a degree. I am all for getting the prospect that you want, but if O'Neal sticks with his pledge to the Sooners or goes elsewhere, it could make the Seminoles' coaching staff look bad.