What's FSU's Backup Plan If Jameis Winston Is Injured Playing Baseball?
Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State Seminoles have the nation's top returning quarterback who sits as the reigning Heisman winner and a projected top pick for the 2015 draft. That quarterback, Jameis Winston, is also a part of the Seminoles' baseball team, currently ranked No. 2 according to Baseball America.
Winston's a major cog in the playoff push for Florida State, especially since the Seminoles do not have any concrete answers at the backup quarterback spot. If the current Heisman winner cannot go for the 'Noles, the spring time reps for Sean Maguire will mean so much more than who is second in command.
Compared to football, the odds that Winston is injured on the baseball diamond are quite slim. After all, there are no 300-pound behemoths out trying to decapitate him or speedy 190-pound defensive backs trying to hit Winston from the blindside on a corner blitz.
However, having a plan for the injury of their star quarterback makes sense, and spring ball will be about answering the "what if" moving forward.
First up will be Sean Maguire, the rising redshirt sophomore who completed 13-of-21 passes in 2013 in very limited spot duty during eight games. This is his second spring in Tallahassee, Fla., and the former 3-star prospect out of a Wing-T offense should see plenty of reps in an effort to make him comfortable as the backup following the transfer of Jacob Coker to Alabama.
John Franklin III appears to be the challenger for Maguire as the former 3-star, dual-threat quarterback is still listed on the roster at the position after spending 2013 redshirting and working with the scout team. Franklin, who some speculated would change positions, is the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster and enters spring hoping to push Maguire and stick with the signal-callers.
The other possible answer for the Seminoles has yet to arrive on campus. JJ Cosentino, a 4-star prospect, was the No. 13 pro style quarterback, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings in the 2014 class. At 6'4" and 223 pounds, Cosentino is the prototypical size to work within Fisher's offense, but with the incoming freshmen arriving in the summer, he will have to play catch up.
Maguire is the answer, although given his limited time on the field, he has plenty to learn. Spring will be about not only Maguire getting quality reps but Franklin working in to make sure there are options for the Seminoles.
Luckily for Jimbo Fisher, his team and Seminoles' fans, the odds baseball sidelines Winston are quite slim. Expect the action on the diamond to continue at a high level, and as fall rolls around, Winston will return as the face of a Florida State team set to make another National Championship run.
