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Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell (right) gestures as he talks to head line judge Baron Baluster (left) against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Seminoles won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Top quarterback recruit removes Florida State from consideration

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 10:15 PM ET

Florida State's recruiting at the quarterback position hasn't been up to par throughout head coach Mike Norvell's tenure in Tallahassee. For whatever reason, the Seminoles have struggled to hold onto top recruits and failed to develop them when they do.

Since parting ways with four-star signal-caller Brady Smigiel in June, the coaching staff has been searching for a quarterback to lead #Tribe26.

To this point, the Seminoles haven't had much luck as five-star Keisean Henderson canceled his visit to campus while four-star Bowe Bentley eliminated Florida State entirely.

The bad news is continuing as the calendar creeps toward the end of June. On Wednesday evening, four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth cut his recruitment down to two. Duckworth will be focusing on South Carolina and Auburn moving forward, canceling his visit to Florida State in the process.

Though Duckworth hadn't visited the Seminoles this year, that was expected to change in just two days as his official visit was scheduled to span June 13-15. Instead, FSU's quarterback search is essentially down to one.

At this stage, four-star prospect and Oklahoma commit, Jaden O'Neal, is the only realistic option. O'Neal was at Florida State a few weeks ago and he'll be back June 15-17. Though he remains pledged to the Sooners, that could change if Oklahoma lands Bentley over LSU.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 QB Landon Duckworth is down to Auburn and South Carolina, he tells me for @on3recruits

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
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 12, 2025

Regardless, Duckworth projected to be a solid fit in Florida State's offense. Plus, he had a relationship with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn dating back to when the latter was the head coach at UCF. It's safe to say the quarterback dominoes have not fallen in FSU's favor.

As a junior, Duckworth 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, 195-pound quarterback is regarded as the No. 50 overall prospect, the No. 6 QB, and the No. 3 recruit in Alabama according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds ten verbal commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 35 in the country.