As a finance major who plans to focus on wealth management, Keith Maguire already has a pretty good idea of what life after football will look like for him.

“Kind of have a few things lined up already for whenever this route does end, I can start on that journey of my life,” said Maguire, who’s on track to graduate from Clemson later this year.

But the Tigers’ former linebacker hopes to put those plans on hold for as long as he can. That would mean he’s on an NFL roster living out his dream.

Unlike Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, Trenton Simpson and some of his other former teammates, Maguire isn’t generating a ton of buzz heading into next month’s draft. Maguire spent most of his four seasons at Clemson as a reserve. When veteran James Skalski moved on from the program after the 2021 season, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., a former blue-chip recruit, rose to the top of the depth chart at middle linebacker with Maguire spending last season as his primary backup.

At this point, though, Maguire doesn’t care how he gets his shot at the next level. Simply getting one is all he wants.

“All you really need is a foot in the door, and I felt that after this year I had enough to do that,” Maguire said.

Though he never started a game, Maguire played in 42 of them for the Tigers after joining the program in 2019. He finished his career with 80 tackles in 464 defensive snaps. Maguire also played his share of special teams, which is something he’s more than willing to keep doing if it means getting his chance at the NFL.

Maguire saw one of his former teammates at the same position, Baylon Spector, do that a year ago as a rookie. That’s where Spector made the majority of his contributions in the six games he played for the Buffalo Bills after being drafted in the seventh round.

“I‘ve talked to Baylon multiple times, and if you’re a special-teams guy, you’re a fourth-string linebacker overall,” Maguire said. “And if two guys go down, you’re up. If you’re at that level, regardless if it’s special teams, you’ve got to be ready to play. It’s the same thing here, especially with what my role was here this past season. I’m used to that.”

Maguire could’ve returned for another season at Clemson. Mentally, though, he said he was ready to move on. And he believes he showed all 32 teams during Clemson’s annual pro day earlier this month that he’s physically prepared to handle the rigors of the next level.

Maguire locked out 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, the most of any of the Tigers’ participants. It took him 4.83 seconds to complete the 40-yard dash, but Maguire’s agility time of 4.32 was the second-fastest behind only Simpson, arguably Clemson’ most athletic draft prospect in this class.

“I think I showed I’m strong and I can hang with everyone on the field,” he said. “And just showed that I may not be running a 4.4 (in the 40), but I can move and I change direction really well. Good hands. Did well in the drills. Just showing them I can go out there, I can be an athlete, and I can play on special teams with what I tested.

“Just kind of show them that they may not know who I was before (the workout), but after that performance, I’m pretty confident teams know who I am know.”

Now Maguire will wait to see if a team is willing to spend a draft pick on him, and to say he doesn’t have a preference wouldn’t exactly be the truth. A Philadelphia native who went a bit viral last summer for his hat exchange with Phillies star Bryce Harper, Maguire acknowledged being drafted by his hometown Eagles would be the ideal scenario.

“That would be pretty cool putting on that helmet being a lifelong fan there,” he said. “Running out in Philly in front of my family would definitely be a dream of mine.”

But Maguire added he’d be grateful to any organization that might take a flyer on him.

“Just a good overall linebacker who played well at Clemson at the Power Five level and deserves an opportunity to go give it a shot in the NFL,” he said.