TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Sean Maguire said the quarterback competition with Everett Golson won’t cause strife within Florida State’s locker room because an evident starter will emerge before the opener.
“It’s not going to cause problems. Everyone in the locker room wants to win and the coaches want to win, too,” Maguire said, speaking for the first time since Golson transferred from Notre Dame in May. “I think everyone on the team is going to know by the end of fall who is going to give this team the best chance to win.”
Golson, who started the first 12 games of 2014 for the Fighting Irish, arrived on Florida State’s campus in June. Maguire said he remained in contact with Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher during Golson’s recruitment, and Fisher told Maguire this spring Golson would not be guaranteed the starting position. Maguire, who took nearly all of the first-team snaps in the spring, said Fisher told him he’s the No. 1 quarterback entering camp.
That is part of the reason Florida State and Fisher appealed to Golson. Despite throwing for 5,850 yards and 41 touchdowns over two seasons, Golson is not looking to be handed a starting position in 2015.
“He told me that there were no promises. You weren’t going to get the starting spot. I think that over anything, that’s what maybe attracted me to him so much more because you can go anywhere, they fill your head up with different things, but it really comes out to be broken promises at the end of the day,” Golson said. “For him to really tell me the real of the situation, I respected that so much more.”
The coaching staff hasn’t been able to work with Golson until fall camp opened Thursday, but he said the turnover issues that plagued 2014 -- he lost the ball 22 times -- have been set straight already.
The biggest transition has been to learn the terminology of Fisher’s offense. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders said Golson will often make the right read, but he forgets the subsequent audibles or offensive line protection’s name.
“It’s not so much learning new plays. It’s learning a new language. It’s like moving, maybe, from the United States to Mexico,” Sanders said. “You’re learning a new language. A lot of the things are the same.”
Sanders said it’s tough trying to reload Golson with FSU’s terminology and subtract the Notre Dame parlance from his memory, and it might be easier working with the blank slate freshmen possess upon enrolling. Golson made it clear that, at 22 years old, he comes in with a pedigree, though.
“I’m no young kid just trying to fit in. It’s about me trying to come in, understanding, take what I’ve learned throughout my college career and really better this team,” he said.
Maguire is a fourth-year junior and studied under EJ Manuel and Jameis Winston, who both became first-round NFL selections. Fisher has groomed the 6-foot-3, 221-pound Maguire since 2012, and the New Jersey native is well versed in the playbook and terminology. While that benefits Maguire in the competition, Maguire said he’s been helping Golson on and off the field. Sanders said Maguire probably didn’t welcome the extra competition after he was seemingly in line to replace Winston, but he has embraced the competition through the first few practices.
“I don’t know how much he really welcomed it, but he hasn’t run from it," Sanders said. "He has that competitiveness, he has the desire. I think he would have loved for us to just say hey, it’s your job, don’t worry about it. It’s easier to sleep. At the same time I think he recognizes competition makes him better. If he goes out and competes every day and wins the job, he’s probably going to be a better player than if we just handed it to him.”
Maguire said he will “embrace” the preseason competition with Golson and await a decision from Fisher.
“We’re only three days into fall camp,” Maguire said, “but I can’t wait for the rest of it.”