Auburn football HC Bryan Harsin is confident in the quarterback he personally recruited in the transfer portal during his first cycle on the Plains, T.J. Finley, who he just named as the starter under center for the 2022 season.
The ‘Big Pontchatoula,’ a clever nickname for the six-foot-seven signal-caller that CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt coined on Twitter, is stepping into the role under a bit of fire after he struggled to get comfortable in the offense last season.
Finley was brilliant against Georgia State at home during Week 4 of the 2021 season, leading them to a comeback that may have just saved the Plains from imploding, and he has admitted that he wasn’t ‘mentally ready nor physically ready to take that job last year after Bo got hurt.’
Harsin believes that is no longer the case, handing him the job to Finley over fan-favorite and A-Day’s offensive MVP, Robby Ashford. The Auburn football HC reiterated that Finley’s improved control of the Tigers offense prompted the coaching staff to choose No. 1 to be QB1:
Bryan Harsin on new starting QB T.J. Finley: "People improve. And that includes quarterbacks at Auburn."
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) August 29, 2022
Auburn football QB1 T.J. Finley can take a hit on and off the field
T.J. Finley overcoming the odds and fending off Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, once deemed a heavy favorite to win the starting job in 2022, is an act of courage, defiance, pride, and determination.
After hearing it from critics all offseason, Finley persisted through spring camp and then took control of the starting job in the summer. He spoke to his ability to take a hit both on and off the field on Monday:
Auburn QB T.J. Finley asked about his toughness, following up on something HC Bryan Harsin said about the position earlier: "I can take a hit. And I think I can take some criticism on social media and block it out and keep going."
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) August 29, 2022
We can’t speak for everyone here at Fly War Eagle, but we can saw that it’s War Damn T.J. Finley until the wheels fall off. When someone earns the job after a grueling summer camp in the sweltering Alabama heat, he earns our respect and confidence until proven otherwise.