Update, Aug. 27: FSU coach Jimbo Fisher officially named Deondre Francois the Seminoles starting quarterback for Week 1 against Ole Miss.
Original story: Florida State has had Sean Maguire, starter at the end of the 2015 season, competing with redshirt freshman Deondre Francois for the job in fall camp. Jimbo Fisher has made it clear that Francois has kept the competition close with the senior incumbent, and that has to feel comforting for Seminoles fans after Maguire's ankle injury.
Maguire suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of Saturday's practice and is expected to keep him out of the season opener against Ole Miss.
It's now Francois' moment, and how he manages the Seminoles' offense in the Monday night battle will play a huge role in the team's College Football Playoff resume. The early reports from FSU's camp suggest that he's ready to take control of the offense, and Ole Miss will be a great test for a team that is working to develop that "championship mentality."
"I haven't named a starter. Right now he's playing with the ones," Fisher said. "He's doing a nice job, has had some good practices, continue to get better."
Francois built the foundation for his surging stock as the scout team MVP during his redshirt season. Jimbo might not be ready to crown the talented rookie, but he's got a chance to ride the same kind of wave that benefited Jameis Winston during his redshirt freshman season.
Winston was a redshirt freshman who also made his first start on a nationally televised Monday night game. Winston completed 17 of 18 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown to account for all scores in the first half of FSU's eventual win against Pittsburgh.
