Count Daren Bates as part of team TJ Finley in the two-horse race between the LSU transfer and the incumbent junior sign-caller Bo Nix for the Auburn football starting quarterback position in 2021.
Finley announced his intentions in May of joining the Auburn family with every intention of starting for the Tigers this coming season. Nix, who was once tabbed as a potential 2022 #1 NFL Draft pick, is turning heads in camp thanks to the competition Finley is providing.
Essentially, Finley’s presence is already paying off in spades for what it was supposed to do: being the shot in the arm Nix needs to take his game to the next level.
That said, Bates wants more from Finley. He wants him to be QB1:
If TJ Finley not starting week 1. Ima be upset!!
— Daren Bates (@DB_5trey) August 11, 2021
Nix has a lot of advantages heading into the final stretch of the preseason before Jordan-Hare Stadium opens its doors on September 4th to 87K+ for the first time in two years. He’s been in the seat for two years and has already provided the Tigers with an Iron Bowl win and even beat Finley head to head last season when LSU came to town to take a 48-11 win in the SEC West Tiger Bowl. We’d be remiss not to mention Nix’s second generation Auburn football quarterback status as well.
AU lineage aside, Nix is doing all of the right things this offseason, making it quite likely that Bates will be upset Labor Day weekend.
Speaking of Bates, the Memphis-born LB is still an NFL free agent after a return to his home-town Titans in 2020.
Here’s to Bates finding a new home, and Finley establishing himself as the go-to option under center in two years as a senior or next season should Nix depart early for the NFL…assuming he doesn’t just overtake Nix in the meantime.