Auburn football: Why TJ Finley could be the next Tiger in the transfer portal

Six Auburn football players have entered the NCAA transfer portal following the end of the season and the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, but we can expect that number to rise as the days go on. Three-year starting quarterback Bo Nix was the most recent departure from the Plains, but it could set off a chain reaction that sees another Tiger QB leaving the program.

When sophomore TJ Finley transferred to Auburn football from LSU last year, he knew he would be competing with Nix for the starting job. Though he shone early on in his debut against Georgia State, he failed to make things happen for the Auburn offense later in the season when he took over the QB1 role from an injured Nix.

With Nix gone, Finley will be competing with soon-to-be redshirt freshman Dematrius Davis-who saw no game action in 2021-and class of 2022 signee Holden Geriner for the starting job. But has Harsin already turned his attention to the newer members of the QB room?

Current Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Austin Davis has been communicating frequently with Bryan Harsin about the OC job, and Auburn Live reports that 4-star QB commit Holden Geriner is part of Harsin’s pitch to Davis:

"Sources have told Auburn Live that Harsin has even communicated his thoughts on Auburn’s top-rated quarterback signee, Holden Geriner, to Austin Davis. Geriner is fresh off a state title, ranked a 4-star, and sources indicate that Harsin relayed to Davis that he believes Geriner can be an All-American-type player. It’s part of Harsin’s recruiting pitch to Davis."

Benedictine Military beat Carver-Columbus 35-28 in the GHSA Class 4A Championship, and Holden Geriner completed 24 of 30 passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns. Geriner finished his senior season completing 209 of 313 passes for 2,980 yards, 32 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 67.

After a season where Bo Nix and TJ Finley ultimately didn’t do the trick for the Tigers, whether it was through fault of their own or not, it’s likely that the coaching staff will turn a new page on the Plains with a different QB1 and offensive coordinator.