Mike Norvell’s job at Florida State is under the kind of pressure that comes with a massive $63.8 million buyout looming over every move he makes. And with each missed opportunity, that seat just keeps getting hotter. The 2024 season already left fans disappointed, and now, another major recruiting whiff has only made things worse. FSU had one job—to lock in a top quarterback for the future. But after missing out on Brady Smigiel (who picked Michigan), the Seminoles turned their full attention to Keisean Henderson. And just when it looked like they might pull off a big-time flip, Henderson shut it all down.
Henderson, who had been committed to Houston since May 2024, announced on May 27 that he was done with the process. No more visits. No more speculation. Not even the scheduled June 9 trip to Tallahassee. It’s over—he’s sticking with the Cougars.
On the June 6 episode of Locked On Seminoles, recruiting insider Brian Smith explained what happened. “Now, for those that don’t know, he [Keisean Henderson] lives right on the cusp of the Houston city limits, so he’s a kid that’s very familiar with that area. And he decided he wanted to play quarterback early on, and the Cougars were the first school to say, ‘Okay, we’re all in on you playing QB.’” Sometimes, that early belief is all it takes.
This loss is more than a recruiting miss—it’s another blow to FSU’s 2026 quarterback hopes. Henderson was one of three QBs expected to officially visit this summer, but with him gone, the list shrinks to just four-star prospects Jaden O’Neal and Landon Duckworth. O’Neal is currently committed to Oklahoma, and FSU still hasn’t managed to get Duckworth on campus. South Carolina, meanwhile, has surged ahead in his recruitment. It’s a grim outlook for Norvell.
Worse yet, FSU had a late push not only for Henderson but for another Texas-based athlete, Bowe Bentley out of Celina—another dual-threat talent. But he’s also off the board. “He’s another kid from Texas, from Celina. Another playmaker with great athletic ability after the play,” Smith added. “Probably their two best options are gone,” he said bluntly. That leaves FSU scrambling, with few solid backup plans.
Yes, there’s still hope. The Seminoles have shown before that they can pull off a late quarterback flip—like they did with Kevin Sperry from Oklahoma in the 2025 cycle. But as of now, the board looks shaky, the momentum is gone, and Mike Norvell’s situation is more fragile than ever. Losing out on Henderson isn’t just a recruiting loss—it’s symbolic of the larger issues plaguing the program.
But why did Keisean Henderson turn down a prominent program like FSU for a rising Big 12 squad like Houston? The answer’s surprisingly simple.
5-star QB Keisean Henderson sticks with the Houston Cougars
The 6’3″, 170-pound player, ranked by On3 as the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 4 QB in the 2026 class, has now joined Houston’s 2026 class, which sits at No. 45 with only six commits. But why did he choose them?
“I felt the love from day one and I feel like there is nowhere I would rather be,” Henderson told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. That’s a strong statement from a player who had offers from top-tier programs across the country. But it wasn’t just about the hype—it was about who believed in him first.
Houston’s head coach, Willie Fritz, made all the difference. Henderson explained, “The way (Fritz) moves, the way he’s able to pick up stuff, be a leader. Everywhere he went he’s always turned the program around. Just watching that from the past couple of years when he was at Tulane, he flipped that program.”
Henderson also had a long-standing relationship with offensive coordinator Slade Nagle and quarterbacks coach Shawn Bell. “I’ve known coach Nagle since he was at Tulane. Between coach (Shawn) Bell and coach Nagle, those were the first two that pulled the trigger on me at quarterback my sophomore year.”
It wasn’t just about comfort—it was about faith. Houston believed in him early and stuck by that belief even as bigger programs came knocking. And when FSU, Gus Malzahn, and others jumped into the race late, it didn’t shake him. And make no mistake—this isn’t some small-time QB.
On3’s Charles Power described him as one of the most athletic signal-callers in the country. “Henderson is one of the top athletes in the country regardless of position,” Power wrote. But he wasn’t always considered a can’t-miss. Early scouting reports raised concerns about his accuracy on intermediate and deep passes.
Still, Henderson kept grinding. At the Navy All-American Bowl, he silenced the doubters and earned On3 MVP honors. Power raved about his “quick, whippy arm action” and how he could release the ball from multiple angles with confidence and precision.
Now, he’s the face of Houston’s 2026 class and a potential Big 12 game-changer. For Mike Norvell? It’s another reason his seat might just be burning hotter than ever.
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