Let’s be honest: before this past Wednesday; before Twitter “memed” a starting quarterback right out of his starting status; before Winston gave an anatomy lesson to the buzzing crowds inside Oglesby Student Union, and before Mel Kiper declared a mini-apocalypse for the NFL draft stock of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, you probably didn’t know who Sean Maguire was.
You probably still don’t know who he is. Allow us to introduce you.
- Sean Maguire, backup quarterback to Jameis Winston, hails from New Jersey—specifically, from West Orange, New Jersey, where he played for Seton Hall Prep. Maguire is a 6’2, 220 lb., pro-style quarterback.
- The quarterback was ranked the #13 prospect at his position nationally and #18 player in his region by ESPN in the 2012 class.
- Maguire knew his chances of taking the starting quarterback job from Jameis Winston were slim, but chose Florida State to be groomed by Coach Jimbo Fisher for the NFL, rejecting offers from Alabama, Maryland and N.C. State.
- Maguire isn’t scared of getting hit—or a little pain. After a successful 10-1 season his junior season at Seton Hall, the team lost every starter but Maguire. Maguire had to learn to survive behind an inexperienced offensive line, and finished the year with a 5-5 record, an injured shoulder and a broken nose.
- His career stats for the Noles? 16-for-26, 144 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
- Maguire redshirted his first year with the Seminoles, so like Winston, this is his third year on campus. He will be draft eligible in the spring.
- His parents, there to catch the two drives he led against The Citadel, were in the stands at Doak Campbell Stadium two weeks ago. Not expecting their son to start this game, they gave away their tickets to this weekend’s conference showcase.
- The redshirt sophomore is Florida State’s third backup quarterback to start against Clemson during Fisher’s five years as head coach. The first was in 2010 when E.J. Manuel went in for an injured Christian Ponder; the second instance was when current West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett subbed for an injured E.J. Manuel. FSU won the game in 2010, but was defeated by Clemson in 2011.
- Jimbo Fisher unknowingly began to prepare Sean Maguire for this moment when he had the quarterback take all first team snaps while Jameis Winston was away playing with the baseball team this past spring.
- Maguire has experienced unexpected pressure before. When he first arrived at the university, Winston was the favorite to win the starting position, which left Clint Trickett and Jacob Coker to battle for the backup slot. Trickett left for West Virginia in May, Winston came under investigation for sexual assault in November, and Coker injured his knee just days later. In the scope of seven months, Maguire had gone from fourth-string to the primary backup, with the possibility of Jameis being suspended at any moment under felony charges—and FSU was already in the spotlight of national championship contention.
The Florida State Seminoles will take on the Clemson Tigers in a classic ACC matchup on Saturday night in Doak Campbell Stadium, with Sean Maguire at the helm for the first half.
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