Everything You Need to Know About Jameis Winston's Backup: Sean Maguire

Sean Maguire was an afterthought as part of Florida State's 2012 signing class. He was the other quarterback—a 3-star prospect from New Jersey.

The afterthought, considered the No. 4 quarterback in the spring of 2013, will now start for No. 1 FSU (2-0) against No. 22 Clemson (1-1) on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET following Jameis Winston's suspension due to his vulgar and profane comments Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon, Winston was suspended for the first half—but late Friday night the suspension was extended to a full game.

Winston and Maguire came to FSU together as part of the 2012 class. While Winston won a Heisman Trophy and a national title, Maguire has been patiently waiting for his turn.

And now, Maguire gets his turn.

In March 2013, as FSU was about to begin spring football practice, Maguire was clearly the No. 4 quarterback.

He was behind Clint Trickett, who had the most game experience at that point and was the quarterback that coach Jimbo Fisher had named the No. 1 guy going into the spring. And he was behind Winston and Jacob Coker.

And then the dominoes began to fall. Winston had a breakout performance in the spring game, and Trickett graduated the next month and was able to transfer (and play immediately) at West Virginia. 

Winston beat Coker for the starting job and led FSU to 14 straight wins, including the national title. And after Coker suffered a knee injury in November 2013, Maguire was elevated to the No. 2 spot. Coker's graduation and transfer to Alabama in May further paved the way for Maguire.

"You don’t wish bad things upon anyone," Maguire said. "(Winston) said the same thing to me. It's a blessing for you, to get to go out there and play with the team."

Now, just 18 months after being the No. 4 quarterback, Maguire is the starter in a crucial matchup against conference rival Clemson. 

"Sean is going to do great," Winston said on Wednesday. "I just texted Sean a little while ago. Me and Sean are going to do some quality film work after practice."

Here are a few things you should know about Maguire:

Maguire Could Have Played Elsewhere

USA TODAY Sports

Emphasis on the word "played." According to 247Sports, Maguire had scholarship offers from the likes of Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut and North Carolina State.

But Maguire said he made a visit to FSU and knew where he wanted to play.

"I wanted to come here," Maguire said in 2013. "I loved the coaches. I loved the whole school. I think the competition is awesome.

"I could have taken the easy way out and gone to some school up North and been starting, but I'd rather compete with the best."

Maguire didn't shy away from the challenge of FSU and competing for snaps in practice with the likes of Winston, Trickett and Coker. 

In the spring of 2013, Maguire was often portrayed as the dark horse or not mentioned at all when media and fans discussed the quarterback competition.

"Everyone portrays it as them three," Maguire said. "But in my mind, and I know in coach Fisher's mind, I'm right there. I've been working hard. This is my chance to prove that I belong right there."

Preparation Is the Key 

Maguire knew practice and playing time would be sparse. But he made sure he was ready. He listened to Fisher and quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders but also asked questions. Fisher saw that Maguire was ready to prove what he could do.

Winston saw it, too. While they are both quarterbacks and, technically, are competing against each other in a sense, Winston could appreciate Maguire's progress.

"He's been working his tail off," Winston said. "I respect Sean; the team around him respects Sean. Sean is going to do a great job."

Fisher has an eye for quarterbacks. In some respects, he recruits the position too well.

He has recruited EJ Manuel, Trickett, Coker, Winston, Maguire and J.J. Cosentino. That's an NFL starter, West Virginia's starter, Alabama's backup QB and a Heisman winner. Maguire is Saturday's night's starter, and Cosentino is a highly regarded true freshman.

Fisher said Thursday, before Winston's suspension had been extended to a full game, that FSU's game plan vs. Clemson won't change with Maguire under center.

"We'll run our offense," Fisher said. "Sean has been running the same offense that Jameis has been running in practice for all through spring and fall. They are more similar than they are different because of their arm talent and their ability to get the ball downfield."

He Has the Tools and Weapons to Be Successful  

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Fisher doesn't drop praise on players just to make them look good. But when asked about Maguire in the past, he praised him for his work ethic and skills on the field.

While Maguire has attempted fewer than 30 college passes, it's clear that he has a strong arm and is accurate. He's put in the extra hours in the weight room and has bulked up to 220 pounds. And he's spent countless hours watching film with Winston and the other quarterbacks.

What Maguire lacked going into 2014 was experience. But he took second-team reps in the spring, and he completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the spring game.

"I felt today went well," he said after the spring game. "I felt really comfortable out there."

How will Maguire fare Saturday? That remains to be seen.

But while Maguire isn't as polished a quarterback as Winston, he has similar traits (height, size, arm strength, vision) along with a deep receiving corps.

Maguire can throw to one of the nation's top receivers (Rashad Greene) or one of the country's best tight ends (Nick O'Leary). And Kermit Whitfield and Jesus "Bobo" Wilson are rising stars. FSU's running backs have shown that they are capable runners and blockers but also love to catch passes out of the backfield (Karlos Williams is third on the team with seven receptions).

Maguire has no shortage of confidence. And there's plenty of confidence in him by Fisher and teammates, too. 

Bob Ferrante is the Florida State Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bob on Twitter. Stats courtesy of seminoles.com. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.