Tuesday, Syracuse football offered 2019 linebacker Keith Maguire Jr., he announced via Twitter.
Blessed to receive an offer from Syracuse University! pic.twitter.com/ovEwjVo7N0
— Keith Maguire Jr. (@Keith_Mag) November 28, 2017
Maguire is a 6-2 linebacker out of Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania. At 215 pounds, he already has the size to fit in at the linebacker position at the college level, but will surely put on more weight once he gets to a school. Maguire isn’t ranked by any of the major recruiting services, but that hasn’t stopped Power 5 schools from jumping to offer him. He already has offers from UNC, Duke and Virginia in the ACC, and has other offers from the Big 12 and SEC as well.
Other schools to already offer Maguire are West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Baylor, Army and in-state Temple. He hasn’t given any indication of a favorite yet, but has already visited Virginia and Virginia Tech.
On the field, it’s easy to see why schools are eager to get Maguire on their rosters. The athletic potential is obvious. 6-2 and 215 pounds isn’t overpowering, even on a high school field, but Maguire makes it look like it is. He recognizes and shoots through gaps quickly, and on the offensive side of the ball leaps to make acrobatic catches at wide receiver. He was all-conference at both linebacker and receiver last season, catching 19 passes for 278 yards and making three interceptions on defense, according to PennLive.com.¬†He even made a catch earlier this year which made SportsCenter’s Top 10:
Syracuse has also offered Maguire’s teammate Jake Hornibrook, a Malvern Prep offensive lineman in the class of 2019 with a number of Power 5 offers of his own. The only other ACC school to offer both recruits is Duke, so perhaps Syracuse could get an edge if the two want to play together. That’s a big “if,” though.
Maguire hasn’t done much in his recruitment, as he told PennLive he wanted to focus on his Malvern season. With the year coming to a close, he can now focus more on looking at potential colleges.
Whether its Maguire or another recruit, there will be time to fight for at the linebacker spots in years to come. With the huge hole this year’s senior class of linebackers are leaving behind, underclassmen will have the chance to see the field. Maybe that will be enough to get Keith Maguire in Orange.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
