Florida State offers blue-chip QB from Alabama
Once upon a time, Duckworth almost committed to UCF. Seminoles' new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was the head coach there at the time. So, when he departed to join Florida State's staff, it was a foregone conclusion that he would continue to pursue Duckworth, and Malzahn didn't waste any time after Smigiel left the program.
'Me and coach Gus, we were real close at UCF but he had left and went to Florida State. They had a really great commit in Brady Smigiel. He decommitted and then [Malzahn] just called me and offered me like 20 minutes ago,' Duckworth told Noles247.
Duckworth, just like Bentley, fits what Malzahn wants in a quarterback, seeing as he's a dual-threat type of prospect. He threw for 3,439 yards and 39 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions as a junior. On top of that, he amassed 648 rushing yards and 12 more scores.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is the No. 137 recruit nationally and the No. 9 quarterback according to 247Sports composite rankings. They also have him as the No. 10 prospect in Alabama.
Although the Seminoles just offered, Duckworth mentioned that Malzahn made it clear that they're serious about adding him to the roster.
'It means a lot for any school that offers me and gives me the opportunity to play at their program but he was just like it was nice talking to you, I just wanted to offer you and we're going to full-court press you,' Duckworth said of the phone call with Malzahn.
The proactive approach is always the best course of action when it comes to acquiring talent. It'll be interesting to see how fast Florida State sets up a visit with Duckworth, which will be his first with the program since June of 2023.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on Twitter @StarConscience
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Highlights from Day 10 of Broncos training camp
The Denver Broncos wrapped up Day 10 of training camp on Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights. OL coach Zach Streif brings the boom Dre Greenlaw back in pads Que Robinson back in pads as well Bo Nix connects with Evan Engram Another Bo Nix to Evan Engram completion Bo Nix goes deep to Courtland Sutton Pat Bryant looking sharp The Broncos have a day off of practice on Wednesday as the team travels to California ahead of a joint practice and preseason game with the San Francisco 49ers. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame has many stars named to ESPN's most important players in college football
With the college football season starting at the end of the month, ESPN took a look at the 40 most important players in the sport and named multiple Notre Dame stars to its list. Starting off with their No. 4 most important player in the new starting quarterbacks for likely contenders category was CJ Carr, as Bill Connelly wonders 'can he boost the Irish's upside enough to maybe actually win the national title game (while providing enough of a floor to get them back there)'? That a question that we'd all like answered, but it won't happen right way. He obviously believes that Carr will win the job over Kenny Minchey, which seems like the sentiment nationally. Both of the Irish's wide receiver transfers in Malachi Fields and Will Pauling were named in the category as most important (non-QB) transfers, although neither of them technically made list. However, cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray did in the pure transcendence potential. Connelly was astounded by the depth that Notre Dame has at the position, noting that it 'lost all-world cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a injury six games into 2024 and didn't miss a single beat because Gray and Moore — then just a sophomore and freshman, respectively — were so damn good.' Star running back Jeremiyah Love (who spoke with us about his NIL deal with New Balance) made this category as well, but not named as one of the main players as was the case with the wide receivers. It's pretty clear that Notre Dame has plenty of star power entering 2024, as many of its young players emerged last fall and are known commodities. It should be another very successful season in South Bend starting just a few weeks from now. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Florida Gators legend Tim Tebow named one of top 25 college QBs of last 25 years
It's been more than a decade since Tim Tebow last took a snap for the Florida Gators, but the legend hasn't faded one bit. In its latest ranking of the 25 best college football quarterbacks of the past 25 years, Sports Illustrated placed Tebow at No. 4 overall–a reminder that few have ever done it better in college football, and no one has ever done it quite like Tebow. Tebow was the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy, the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in a season and the only quarterback in SEC history to rush for more than 50 touchdowns in a career. By the time he left Gainesville, Tebow owned five NCAA, 14 SEC and 28 UF records. Tebow's career totals–9,285 passing yards, 88 passing touchdowns, 2,947 rushing yards, 57 rushing touchdowns–read like something out of a video game. Gator Nation knows that Tebow isn't just one of the best quarterbacks of the last 25 years–he's the program's gold standard. His fiery postgame speeches, his willingness to run through a wall for his team and his dominance on the field defined an ear when Florida football ruled the sport. Of course, Tebow isn't the only former Gator to make SI's list. Cam Newton checks in at No. 2 after leading the Auburn Tigers to a national championship and winning the Heisman in 2010. Newton's time in Gainesville was brief–backing up Tebow before transferring–but it's hard not to wonder what might have been had he stayed. Here is everything SI's Bryan Fischer wrote about Tebow and why he was one of college football's best quarterbacks in the past 25 years. What SI said about Tebow "The lefty sandwiched winning two national titles with the Gators with becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He finished his career with a remarkable 145 total touchdowns—his 57 on the ground were more than Herschel Walker had rushing in his career—and spent a decade as the SEC's career leader in passing efficiency before his 170.8 mark was eventually broken. Though Tebow's persona could at times be divisive, there's little questioning his leadership on and off the field that has to be factored into how he played the position." SI's top 10 quarterbacks from the past 25 years Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
