Former FSU Football QB commitment trims recruitment down to four schools

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Mar 15, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Florida State's 2026 recruiting class took a big hit a few months ago when top quarterback and four-star prospect, Brady Smigiel, announced he was decommitting from the Seminoles in late January. The move came in the aftermath of FSU hiring offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to take over the play-calling duties along with Smigiel picking up interest from a few renowned P4 programs.

The Seminoles and Smigiel have since moved on with Florida State even offering a trio of quarterbacks - five-star Keisean Henderson, four-star Landon Duckworth, and four-star Bowe Bentley - shortly after parting ways.

Smigiel, in his own right, is moving forward. He announced his top four schools on Friday as the talented signal-caller will narrow his focus on Washington, UCLA, South Carolina, and Michigan moving forward. The Huskies appear to be the public favorite at this stage of his recruitment.

NEWS: Elite 2026 QB Brady Smigiel is down to 4️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’4 210 QB from Newbury Park, CA is ranked as a Top 8 QB in the ‘26 Class (per On3 Industry)

Where Should He Go?https://t.co/mwF0PRb8S2 pic.twitter.com/dHAGzINAIL
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 14, 2025

Smigiel was named high school football player of the year by the Los Angeles Times after a junior season where he guided Newbury Park High School to a 14-1 record and a D2 CIFSS Championship. He completed 219/336 passes (65.2%) for 3,521 yards with 49 touchdowns to three interceptions while adding 435 yards and 11 more scores on the ground.

During his prolific career at Newbury Park, Smigiel has completed 729/1,161 passes for 11,222 yards with 147 touchdowns to 28 interceptions. He's 33-8 as a starter and has won at least one playoff game in all three years at the prep level.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 126 overall prospect, the No. 8 QB, and the No. 21 recruit in California in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds seven verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 14 in the country.