Auburn football 2022 Recruiting Outlook: Quarterbacks
Auburn football Roster Breakdown
2021 Auburn football Quarterbacks: Bo Nix (Jr.), Grant Loy (Sr.), TJ Finley (So.), & Dematrius Davis (Fr.)
The QB position has been one that many Auburn football fans have expected more from over the past few seasons going all the way back to Nick Marshall’s departure after the 2014 season. The Tigers have 4 QBs going into the season after the transfer of TJ Finley to the Tigers. Bo Nix is the incumbent starter, but a lot of people expect Finley to push Nix for the job in the 2021 season, which brings some excitement to the Auburn QB room in Year 1 for Harsin.
Nix is the guy according to most people you ask, but Finley coming in could give Nix his first push since he claimed the QB1 role back in 2019. Over his first two seasons; Nix has thrown for over 4900 yards, 28 passing TDs, 13 INTs, and completing over 58% of his passes. Many fans have been satisfied with his performances within the confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, but away from his home stadium, Nix has been a completely different QB.
This may have opened the door for TJ Finley, who announced his transfer to the Tigers on May 24th. Finley started five games for the LSU Tigers last season after the injury to Myles Brennan before he was benched for Max Johnson later in the season. In those five games, Finley threw for over 900 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs, & completed over 57% of his passes for the Tigers.
It is tough to judge Finley for last season, because he was thrust into a role that he truthfully was not ready for. No spring practices, limited summer workouts, and a short fall camp all contributed to Finely being a year or so away from actual competing for the LSU QB1 role. I think the potential of Finley in Harsin & Mike Bobo’s system is just as high as Nix and we could be looking at the future of Auburn football.
Grant Loy transferred from Bowling Green as a graduate transfer in 2019 and has served as a depth protector in his time on the Plains. He has only seen playing time in two games during his time in Auburn. He will be leaving the Tigers after this season, which opens up a need for some more depth in the Tigers QB room going into the 2022 season. This becomes an even bigger need due to the transfer of Chayil Garnett after spring practice, which really thinned out the QB room until Finley decided to bring his talents to the Plains.
Another piece of the puzzle happens to be an extremely talented freshman QB in Dematrius Davis. Davis was 4-star; Top-220 player out of the 2021 class out of North Shore High School in Houston, TX. He was named MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year, MaxPreps Texas Player of the Year, & went 45-2 as the starter over his 3 seasons at North Shore. Davis is going to be a factor after next season and could make next season’s QB battle a 3-man race and the consensus from Auburn football fans seem to be that Davis is the future of the QB position for the Tigers.