Auburn football: TJ Finley has new level of confidence as QB1

The month of September has arrive and we are officially one day away from some Auburn football. Head coach Bryan Harsin’s second year on the Plains begins a new era for the Tigers on offense, an era that does not have Bo Nix on the starting lineup.

After a months-long offseason quarterback competition that took fans on quite a rollercoaster ride, it was finally announced that the only returning quarterback, TJ Finley, would be the Tigers’ QB1 in the season opener versus Mercer. Oregon transfer Robby Ashford secured the number two spot and is expected to get some game action this weekend, while Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada fell to the third spot.

Many fans were reluctant for Finley to be named QB1 after his performance at the end of the season last year when he took over for the injured Nix. However, with a whole offseason under his belt, and one where he received most of the first-team reps, there is likely to be much improvement in the quarterback.

Finley himself admitted that last year he wasn’t ready for the job, but this year he is earning praise left and right from his teammates–praise for his leadership abilities and his work ethic–and being named the starter has given him a new level of confidence, per Auburn Undercover:

"“When your head coach tells you that you’re the guy that we’re rolling the carpet out with, it definitely brings a level of confidence,” Finley said. “… I wasn’t mentally ready last year, nor was I physically ready to take that job last year after Bo got injured.”"

While the matchup with FCS school Mercer will not be the best indicator of how the rest of the season will go for TJ Finley, it’s clear that the Auburn football team is united behind their QB1 and they’re ready to prove the world wrong this season.