Florida State Quarterback Commit Named High School Football Player of the Year By Los Angeles Times

The Seminoles have one of the top quarterbacks in the country in their 2026 class.

Newbury Park quarterback Brady Smigiel fires a pass downfield against Ventura during the third quarter of their CIF-SS Division 5 first-round playoff game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at Newbury Park High. The Panthers won 42-30. / JOE LUMAYA/SPECIAL TO THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK

There were plenty of reasons to celebrate when Florida State landed four-star quarterback Brady Smigiel over the summer. At the time, the Seminoles knew they were bringing in one of the very best signal-callers in the country and that was reflected in Smigiel's performance on the field this fall.

As a junior, he guided Newbury Park High School to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the regional finals. Smigiel 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. He technically threw for fewer passing yards and passing touchdowns compared to 2023 but he cut down on his turnovers, showed more ability as a rusher, and completed a higher percentage of his passes while averaging a personal best in yards per attempt (16.1)

Smigiel had six games where he threw four or more touchdowns, including three performances with five touchdown passes. He completed a season-high 15/22 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns along with 15 rushes for 57 yards and another score in a 31-28 playoff victory against Murrieta Valley High School on November 30.

The effort paid off as Smigiel was recently named the high school football player of the year by the Los Angeles Times. He joins a prestigious list of honorees that includes current UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster (1981) among plenty of other college football and NFL standouts such as DeSean Jackson (2004), Toby Gerhart (2005), Matt Barkley (2007), De'Anthony Thomas (2010), Su'a Cravens (2011), Josh Rosen (2014), and Bryce Young (2019).

READ MORE: Former FSU QB Named New Offensive Coordinator At Jacksonville State

Smigiel has put together a prolific career at Newbury Park with his senior season still left to play. In three years, he's completed 729/1,161 passes for 11,222 yards with 147 touchdowns to 28 interceptions. Smigiel is 33-8 as a starter and has won at least one playoff game all three years. He led his team to a state title appearance as a sophomore but came up short in the championship game.

The California native took clear steps forward in his development in 2024. After throwing 14 interceptions and completing 58.9% of his passes last year, he tossed just three picks while completing 65.2% of his passes this season. His progress as a scrambler might be the most impressive aspect because Smigiel only had 234 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground during his first two years at the prep level. He nearly doubled that total as a junior (435 rushing yards, 11 rushing scores).

Smigiel stands at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. He's regarded as the No. 61 overall prospect, the No. 5 QB, and the No. 10 recruit in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

Florida State holds six commitments in its 2026 class which ranks No. 9 in the country.

Smigiel did recently take an unofficial visit to Washington, his first trip elsewhere since pledging to the Seminoles.

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READ MORE: 6-foot-7 Offensive Tackle Xavier Payne Commits To Florida State

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