Auburn football: 2 potential TJ Finley transfer portal landing spots

TJ Finley option #1 after a potential Auburn football transfer: North Carolina

North Carolina has been a pretty big disappointment in 2021 with all things considered. Rocking a legitimate Heisman candidate in Sam Howell under center, the Tar Heels have managed to win just six of their first 11 games and have lost to two of the conference’s bottom-feeders in Georgia Tech and Florida State. While granted, they did upset Wake Forest and ended their undefeated streak, this was the year many imagined from the preseason #10 in the AP Top 25.

Moving forward, the Tar Heels aren’t going to get that sort of hype. This was their year to cash in on having top-line talent and they barely became bowl eligible.

When Howell departs, two current underclassmen will get a chance to replace him: sophomore Jacolby Criswell and freshman Drake Maye. And neither of them are a superior option to TJ Finley.

Of course, the fact that Finley won’t be able to transfer directly to his next school–unlike in 2021 with the one-year immediate transfer window active–means the Tar Heels have time to add someone at the position before he is even eligible to play. 4-star Cornelius, NC product Tad Hudson is already set to join in 2023.

But Finley’s big arm could fit a high-powered UNC offense should their initial interest in him out of high school persist this coming offseason if Finley hits the portal.