Maguire returns to practice

Early Friday afternoon, Florida State President John Thrasher singled out senior quarterback Sean Maguire during the team’s annual kickoff booster luncheon.

Thrasher asked Maguire to stand up before the crowd of about 1,000 fans, and then he told Maguire’s teammates they could learn a lesson from the veteran quarterback’s “grit” and “determination.”

About four hours later, Maguire proved worthy of that praise.

Less than two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot, Maguire returned to participate in the Seminoles’ practice. Limping slightly, Maguire worked with the third-team offense during drills that were open to the media.

Coach Jimbo Fisher was not available to speak with reporters on Friday, but he said earlier in preseason camp that Maguire likely would be out until the second or third game of the season. Maguire broke his right foot on the second day of camp after recovering from a broken left ankle sustained in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Maguire and redshirt freshman Deondre Francois were competing for the starting job when camp opened, but Francois has taken virtually all of the first-team reps since Maguire’s injury as the Seminoles, ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press preseason poll, prepare for their Sept. 5 opener against No. 11 Mississippi in Orlando.

If Maguire is able to play vs. Ole Miss — even if only in a backup role — it would be a valuable backup, however, considering the Seminoles have been practicing with just two scholarship quarterbacks for the past week. True freshman Malik Henry has been out since last weekend when he was suspended for violating team policy, leaving the Seminoles with only Francois and sophomore J.J. Cosentino. Henry was with the team during Friday’s kickoff luncheon, but he was not at practice.