Florida State with no shortage of options to replace Jameis Winston
By John Crist
Be it a veteran already on campus or a recruit soon to be part of the program, coach Jimbo Fisher must find a new starter at the quarterback position
Let’s make one point abundantly clear: Nobody is going to “replace” Jameis Winston at Florida State, as the former Heisman Trophy winner and national champion is arguably the greatest quarterback the program has ever seen.
Sure, the Seminoles already had two QBs win the Heisman and a national title in their illustrious history — Charlie Ward pulled off both feats in 1993; Chris Weinke was a BCS champ in 1999 and then collected the Stiffarm in 2000 — but Winston also has a chance to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Ward hung up his spikes in favor of hi-tops (i.e. basketball) since pro scouts didn’t consider him Round 1 material, while Weinke was a fourth-round selection because he was already 29 years old.
Once Winston hears his name called, FSU will become the only school in the age of the draft to have three signal callers chosen in the first round in a five-year span after Christian Ponder (2011) and EJ Manuel (2013). Say what you will about Ponder and Manuel as pros — Ponder fizzled out quickly with the Minnesota Vikings; Manuel already appears to have lost the faith of the Buffalo Bills — it doesn’t change the fact that coach Jimbo Fisher clearly knows how to get his passers prepared for the next level. In addition to Winston’s enviable skill set, he’s been running a pro-style system that requires him to play NFL-like football both physically and mentally.
It will be a near-impossible task, but here are the myriad candidates with a chance to take over under center for the ‘Noles in the post-Winston era.
Sean Maguire
A three-star recruit from the class of 2012 out of West Orange (N.J.) Seton Hall Preparatory School, Maguire served as the primary backup to Winston this past season.
Offering good but not great size at 6-3 and 220 pounds, Maguire completed 25 of 49 passes for 349 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in 2014. Most of those numbers were compiled starting in place of a suspended Winston at home against Clemson, as he struggled for much of the game but managed to make some plays late — his 74-yard TD pass to Rashad Greene tied it in the fourth quarter — in a 23-17 overtime victory.
While he owns the most experience in Fisher’s offense and by all accounts has a quality head on his shoulders, Maguire would not fire up the fan base since he is no threat to run and presents limited upside as a passer.
J.J. Cosentino
A four-star recruit from the class of 2014 out of Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic High School, Cosentino is a product of the same prep program that produced the likes of Dan Marino and Marc Bulger.
A little taller and thicker than Maguire, Cosentino (6-4, 234) is also a better athlete and seems to have fairly nimble feet in the pocket for a QB his size — he’s on the move quite a bit in the highlight video featured above. Additionally, Maguire didn’t throw the ball much as a prepster since he operated out of a run-based scheme, but Cosentino proved to be very comfortable orchestrating a more conventional system (again, watch the video) that utilized a rotating cast of running backs, tight ends and wide receivers.
Fisher is not a spread-option guy that wants his offense run at Oregon-like speed, so Cosentino appears to offer the arm necessary to stand in the pocket firing bullets to his playmakers while still picking up the occasional first down with his legs.
John Franklin/Kai Locksley
Franklin was a three-star recruit from the class of 2013 out of South Plantation (Fla.) High School already on the roster, while Locksley is a four-star recruit from Baltimore (Md.) Gilmore School committed for the class of 2015.
While Franklin earned rave reviews on the scout team for preparing his Florida State defense for Oregon’s Marcus Mariota prior to the Rose Bowl — never mind the final score — he’s undersized for the position (6-foot, 180 pounds) and will most likely continue his garnet-and-gold career at receiver. Locksley is in the same boat, as he possesses a wideout’s build (6-4, 185 pounds) and was catching passes instead of throwing them recently at the Under Armour All-America Game.
De’Andre Johnson
A four-star recruit signed for the class of 2015 out of Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast High School, Johnson is an early enrollee and already on campus in Tallahassee.
Johnson put up ridiculous numbers on Friday night, breaking Tim Tebow’s state record for career touchdown passes and also proving to be a terror as a ball carrier. Word on the recruiting trail is that he plays with a chip on his shoulder since he doesn’t have ideal measurables — he’s 6-foot, 173 pounds with an average arm and decent wheels — but has the kind of instincts that you just can’t coach.
Considering how complicated Fisher’s offense can be even for a veteran, it would be surprising to see a true freshman digest it from cover to cover and perform accordingly on the field, especially for Johnson since he has a tendency to improvise.
Deondre Francois
A four-star recruit committed to the class of 2015 from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, Francois spent his senior season under the direction of Weinke, who is the top football guru at the prestigious sports-centric institution.
A little shorter (6-2) and lighter (193) than what would classified as a prototype QB, he does have a wiry frame that should be able to support another 20-25 pounds of muscle — Winston, for example, arrived in the Capital City about 195 but leaves around 230. As opposed to Johnson, Francois has earned his reputation as a quick decision maker with supreme confidence in his arm, plus he lets it be known through his play that he’s a passer first and a runner second.
In terms of pure arm ability, Francois is probably the closest thing to Winston because he can really rev up the RPMs, makes all the throws and displays advanced mechanics at a young age.
One thing Seminole supporters shouldn’t worry about is the presence of too many possible replacements for Winston in the huddle.
Once Manuel exhausted his eligibility, for a short time FSU had Winston, Clint Trickett and Jacob Coker all vying for the starting job. Trickett saw the writing on the wall following the 2013 spring game — Winston’s first attempt resulted in a 58-yard scoring strike to a walk-on against the No. 1 defense — and quickly transferred to West Virginia, while Coker departed for Alabama a year later.
Assemble as much talent as possible at the game’s most important position. Fisher has shown that he not only knows how to attract quarterbacks, but that he will select the right one for Saturday. Expect him to do the same in 2015.