A Division 1 title already in the bag. And on Sunday next, Donegal will begin their quest to land a hat-trick of Ulster SFC titles, in what would be a first for the county. Down provide the opposition in Letterkenny.
Their intent for the season ahead was shown in they way they dismantled Kerry in that league decider. The margin of victory was 13 points, but McGuinness's side took the foot off the pedal going down the stretch.
A good day's work. Spring performances, however, are often a false indicator as to what may unfold in the heat of championship, but Donegal are a seasoned bunch and Éamonn Fitzmaurice is expecting the Anglo Celt holders to make another "statement of intent" when they take on the Mourne County at O'Donnell Park.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, the Kerry All-Ireland winner said: "Donegal are the form team in the country at the moment. Jim McGuinness has always been hugely focused on the Ulster Championship. Since Cavan (1940s & 50s), only Down in the 60s and Armagh in the 2000s have won three in a row. Donegal are up for three in a row now.
"McGuinness's teams are rarely off the boil so you'd expect them to be hopping and Down will have to be at their very, very best to compete with them."
After their disappointing showing against Kerry in the 2025 All-Ireland final, Donegal have returned as a more clinical best, with Fitzmaurice particularly taken by the nature of their attacking thrusts, as evidenced on the day his native county were swept aside in that league final.
"When they are setting up their attacks, it's at 100 miles an hour," he remarked.
"The ball is really moving, the players are moving, they are cutting off each other. It is mesmerising, fantastic to watch. I like the way Meath play, but Donegal play a different style, yet it's equally impressive to watch. How accurate they are, their understanding, their chemistry, getting the ball to the right man. Conor O'Donnell's goal in the league final was a perfect example.
"When they get hands on ball it's hard to get it off them and that has been a feature of them since the new rules have come in. They turned over more in the All-Ireland final last year than they did in a lot of games. It was unlike them and it fed into some of the Kerry scores.
"But every aspect of their game in the league final was so impressive. I was surprised he [Jim McGuinness] showed as much as he did that day, the way that they dealt with Kerry loading up, also the way they pushed out in dealing with Kerry's playmakers.
"They had only two turnovers in general play, five overall. Just so hard to play against."
And what of Down, who again face Donegal in Ulster combat, this after last year's meeting at the semi-final stage.
Westmeath's continued involvement in the Leinster puts Down's participation in the Sam Maguire race at risk. Winning an Ulster title was always going to be a tall order for Conor Laverty's men but they had banked on winning Division 3 as their ticket to mixing it with the big guns.
Another issue awaits on Sunday, with Nigel Dunne, also a guest on the podcast, highlighting a stark reality.
"The problem Down will have is getting hands on ball," said the former Offaly star.
"Donegal are so big around the middle. Ronan Burns [Down goalkeeper] is going to have to, which he is more than capable of, go short. That will create pockets of pace for their pacy receivers to come just outside the arc and collect the short kickout. If they can't get the short kickout away and are kicking into contests and overloads I just see Donegal having too much hand on ball.
"We talk and rave about Meath in that they are so exciting to watch, but they will give you the ball back. Donegal just won't. That play is going to end when the shot is taken.
"Down are really structured in attack and will load up their full-forward line, they'll keep their width and depth. But will they have the enough of the ball to be able to do that? A question then of how many attacks they'll have of the course of the game."
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