Deondre Francois will lead the Seminoles under center during the 2016 campaign. Photo/Florida State Seminoles (Don Juan Moore)
Entering fall practice, the biggest question being asked was the same as last season: Who is going to be the starting quarterback for Florida State? After transferring from Notre Dame, Everett Golson won the job last season before later turning it over to Sean Maguire.
What’s certain is head coach Jimbo Fisher will not make a decision until he is ready. He announced Golson as the starter last season just five days before the first game was set to take place against Texas State. The battle between redshirt senior quarterback Sean Maguire and redshirt freshman Deondre Francois was headed down a similar path, with both splitting reps with the first-team offense in practice.
Fisher’s quarterback battle was cut short though, when he announced on Saturday that Sean Maguire would be sidelined due to a right ankle injury. Maguire had surgery on Monday and Fisher said Maguire is expected to be out for four weeks, meaning he could be able to return for the home-opener against Charleston Southern on Sept. 10 or the ACC opener at Louisville on Sept. 17.
This places the starting job in Francois’ lap. Many had expected the redshirt freshman to beat Maguire out for the job before the season’s start. Even though Maguire is one of the most respected Seminoles’ in recent memory, it’s possible this news may actually be a blessing in disguise for Florida State.
Maguire would have been the “safe” pick going into the 2016 season. Fisher knows what to expect from his senior quarterback in that he’ll do everything in his power to help his team. Maguire has put his heart and soul into FSU, which includes playing on a fractured left ankle. Maguire has stayed the course while watching other quarterbacks like Jacob Coker and Clint Trickett transfer and win starting jobs elsewhere.
Coker won a national championship with Alabama and Trickett was very successful in West Virginia’s air raid offense until he was forced to quit football because of concussions. Maguire has shown that he can be a very good college quarterback, beating ranked teams like the Clemson Tigers and the Florida Gators, but he has a ceiling and many believe he has hit that ceiling at FSU.
Deondre Francois was the No. 1 ranked dual-threat quarterback, according to Rivals coming out of IMG Academy. He spent the 2015 season on the scout team where he was recognized as the scout team MVP.
The ceiling for Francois is unknown, but from what he has flashed in practice and in scrimmages, Florida State fans should be excited for the future. Fisher has acknowledged Francois on several occasions and said he felt confident in his decision-making.
“He’s legitimately in the competition to be the guy, because he understands the whys and the why-nots of the game,” Fisher said at a news conference last week.
Junior running back Dalvin Cook is the heart and soul of the FSU offense, but can only take Florida State as far as the quarterback and offensive line play allow him to. Francois’ athleticism can compliment Cook and the ground game with the capability to get out of the pocket to extend plays or run for first downs. That’s something Maguire does not offer.
Maguire however, is the type of kid every college coach wants on his team. He will fight for a starting job before he runs for an easier opportunity. But does his ankle injury actually set Florida State up better for the future?
FSU will open the 2016 season against Ole Miss in Orlando on Sept. 5. Francois will be under center making his first career start on prime time television. If Maguire were to stay healthy and win the job, it would put FSU in the same situation next season. Francois and (likely) redshirt freshman Malik Henry would be battling it out to see who makes his first career start against Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, college football’s premier power over the last decade, in Atlanta.
Unless Francois somehow loses the job, Maguire will be second on the depth chart when he returns from his surgery, and few could ask for a better backup. Francois should be expected to start for at least two years — two years where the Seminoles’ expectations will be as high as any team in the country’s. Fisher, like many coaches, loves competition.
“They (Maguire and Francois) appreciate good competition,” Fisher said. “They know we’re going to pick the best guy, and I think they enjoy each other, they like each other.”
This certainly isn’t the way that either Francois or Maguire would have wanted the role of starting quarterback to be decided, but there’s no longer any doubt that for Francois, the time is now. With Maguire out for a month, there will no longer be a competition; Francois will take the majority of the first-team reps and will be able to get in all the work he needs with his offensive line and receivers. Francois will be able to grow with this team and again with next year’s.
