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Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Five Questions with Sean Maginn
8/3/2021 12:33:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“It’s really incredible how well we gel together. It’s been great.” - Sean Maginn on the offensive line
Returning all five starters from a year ago, while mixing in Maryland grad transfer Terrance Davis and a host of talented underclassmen, the Demon Deacon offensive line figures to feature more depth than at any time in the Dave Clawson era.
Redshirt junior left guard Sean Maginn started all nine games last season for Wake Forest, and played in 13 contests in 2019 — starting nine while accumulating 799 snaps. He recently chatted with Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature about spring camp.
How was spring camp?
Maginn: "It was awesome just playing football again. We had a great time, especially with the offensive line. We have about 20 healthy guys, which is huge. Normally we're lucky to have 10 healthy guys. So we can have three rotating lines and can get everybody reps. It was a great spring."
How often does offensive line coach Nick Tabacca mix-and-match personnel?
Maginn: "He does it frequently. He wants to make sure one person isn't playing just one position all the time. He'll move me to center and move Michael Jurgens to left guard so he can get those reps. With the second-string, he'll move Spencer Clapp around — he's recently moved to the interior, so we're trying to feel him out between the guards and the centers. Luke Petibon had a great spring, and started to get some reps with the ones. There are a lot of opportunities for a lot of guys."
Who are some of the younger offensive linemen who stood out during spring camp?
Maginn: "George Sell and Luke Petibon have been working their tail off. A lot of them have, but I see it everyday with George because he's second-string left guard. He's playing pretty hard and Luke Petibon are as well. Zach Tom, Michael Jurgens, Loic Nya and myself talk about it pretty much every practice, watching the threes. We were there one day. That was us. It's working in the dark. Not many people are going to recognize it and not many people are going to talk about you. But you have to go to practice, treat it like a game everyday and treat those reps like gold. Eventually you're going to get called up and you have to be ready. Those guys worked really hard and have taken things seriously."
What were your impressions of the three early enrollee offensive linemen (Nick Sharpe, Jaydon Collins, Matt Gulbin)?
Maginn: "I've been impressed. They have been taking football very seriously. Every time I go to watch film, Nick Sharpe is in the film room. You love to see the younger guys take it seriously. A lot of times, they come in and get overwhelmed. I think every mid-year enrollee gets overwhelmed coming straight from high school to college, in that transition. But they've been transitioning well. They seem to love football, and their priorities are in the right spot. If they keep taking it seriously, they're going to get really good.
"They drilled hard and practiced hard. Before camp started, they were doing extra work in the indoor facility, getting extra reps. I think they prepared hard and don't look rusty at all."
What is the chemistry like with all five starters returning from last season?
Maginn: "That's something really special, just to have all five of us back. The communication is always on point. I know what Michael Jurgens wants when he's identifying a front. I know how Zach Tom likes to set up a combo with me. I know where his feet are. It's really incredible how well we gel together. It's been great. Although we're enjoying that, we're taking in each practice as it should be. We want to build on top of that. The motto for this year's team is 'good to great.' Last year we were a good offensive line, but we weren't great. This spring, the five of us and really the whole unit, is working really hard to get the respect and recognition from the nation."
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Redshirt junior left guard Sean Maginn started all nine games last season for Wake Forest, and played in 13 contests in 2019 — starting nine while accumulating 799 snaps. He recently chatted with Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature about spring camp.
How was spring camp?
Maginn: "It was awesome just playing football again. We had a great time, especially with the offensive line. We have about 20 healthy guys, which is huge. Normally we're lucky to have 10 healthy guys. So we can have three rotating lines and can get everybody reps. It was a great spring."
How often does offensive line coach Nick Tabacca mix-and-match personnel?
Maginn: "He does it frequently. He wants to make sure one person isn't playing just one position all the time. He'll move me to center and move Michael Jurgens to left guard so he can get those reps. With the second-string, he'll move Spencer Clapp around — he's recently moved to the interior, so we're trying to feel him out between the guards and the centers. Luke Petibon had a great spring, and started to get some reps with the ones. There are a lot of opportunities for a lot of guys."
Who are some of the younger offensive linemen who stood out during spring camp?
Maginn: "George Sell and Luke Petibon have been working their tail off. A lot of them have, but I see it everyday with George because he's second-string left guard. He's playing pretty hard and Luke Petibon are as well. Zach Tom, Michael Jurgens, Loic Nya and myself talk about it pretty much every practice, watching the threes. We were there one day. That was us. It's working in the dark. Not many people are going to recognize it and not many people are going to talk about you. But you have to go to practice, treat it like a game everyday and treat those reps like gold. Eventually you're going to get called up and you have to be ready. Those guys worked really hard and have taken things seriously."
What were your impressions of the three early enrollee offensive linemen (Nick Sharpe, Jaydon Collins, Matt Gulbin)?
Maginn: "I've been impressed. They have been taking football very seriously. Every time I go to watch film, Nick Sharpe is in the film room. You love to see the younger guys take it seriously. A lot of times, they come in and get overwhelmed. I think every mid-year enrollee gets overwhelmed coming straight from high school to college, in that transition. But they've been transitioning well. They seem to love football, and their priorities are in the right spot. If they keep taking it seriously, they're going to get really good.
"They drilled hard and practiced hard. Before camp started, they were doing extra work in the indoor facility, getting extra reps. I think they prepared hard and don't look rusty at all."
What is the chemistry like with all five starters returning from last season?
Maginn: "That's something really special, just to have all five of us back. The communication is always on point. I know what Michael Jurgens wants when he's identifying a front. I know how Zach Tom likes to set up a combo with me. I know where his feet are. It's really incredible how well we gel together. It's been great. Although we're enjoying that, we're taking in each practice as it should be. We want to build on top of that. The motto for this year's team is 'good to great.' Last year we were a good offensive line, but we weren't great. This spring, the five of us and really the whole unit, is working really hard to get the respect and recognition from the nation."
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