Can you believe it? These are the same Seminoles who went ‘almost’ undefeated in the 2023 season! Mike Norvell’s squad shocked everyone by starting this season 0-3, losing to unranked teams. Talk about a fall from grace! FSU fans were beside themselves. They were ready to pull the plug on Norvell, but that $64 million buyout was a major roadblock. Now, it looks like his decision to shake up his coaching staff might have backfired. Elite recruits are backing out left and right.

The Florida State Seminoles suffered a significant blow to their 2026 recruiting class when four-star quarterback Brady Smigiel decided to decommit. He returned as one of the country’s best signal-callers after having been pledged to the Noles on June 22. The On3 ranks Smigiel as the sixth quarterback and 48th overall prospect in the 2026 cycle. It is obviously a disappointment to lose such a prospect, but why did he de-commit?

“He definitely is planning on taking some trips,” Smigiel’s father said. After the incredible season, he was voted Mr. California for all classes with 60 total TDs and just 3 interceptions, the most in the nation. There is a lot of interest in him. But receiving offers isn’t the real cause, as Smigiel’s father disclosed the exact fact last week. Joe Smigiel stated, “Brady’s committed to Florida State, but they made a couple of changes. ” Well, seems like a drastic change for Brady, though!

Yes, Mike Norvell appointed Gus Malzahn as OC after firing three assistant coaches last month. Perhaps this is the change that Brady’s side did not support. Seems like the new FSU OC hire is all about damage control now. One of the best quarterbacks in the 2026 class has received an offer from the OC. He is none other than Keisean Henderson, a Spring (Texas) historic ATH.

After getting an offer from FSU, Henderson shared an X post with the caption, “Florida State Offered @CoachGusMalzahn @Coach_Norvell @Coach_TokarzQB @FSUFootball #GONOLES.” However, the question remains: Did Gus Malzahn make the correct decision?

Can Mike Norvell’s OC fix this mess?

Keisean Henderson is regarded as the top player in the state of Texas and the third-ranked athlete in the nation. On top of that, he is listed as the nation’s 24th-best prospect. With Mike Norvell’s FSU offer, Henderson now has 32 offers. Too big in terms of figures. However, Henderson has been with the Cougars since May 2024 and is now committed to Houston.

But along with Norvell’s FSU, Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Oregon have also extended offers to him. Why not? See the numbers. In 31 games as a high school starter, Henderson has passed for 2,323 yards, 25 TDs, and 5 interceptions. It appears that the OC made the right choice.

It’s not just Henderson; FSU is also going after Landon Duckworth, a top quarterback from Alabama. Norvell is clearly casting a wide net in this recruiting class. They are even eyeing Bowe Bentley, a quarterback from Celina, Texas, who’s currently unranked but has already picked up 23 offers. Losing Brady was a huge blow for FSU. It looks like they’re trying to make up for it by going all-in on recruiting top quarterbacks. Let’s see if their 2026 class and the new offensive coordinator can turn things around.