Though Robby Ashford is a young player who is still developing and making plenty of mistakes on the field, most Auburn football fans credit him for his grit, his determination, and his outspokenness about doing whatever it takes for the team to win. When it comes to TJ Finley, however, there’s a much different story.
TJ Finley was once held in high regard by Auburn football fans after taking over for Bo Nix in the Georgia State game last season, but when it truly came time for Finley to start at the end of the season after Nix was injured, he didn’t have much success. Even after he had more time to adjust ahead of the Birmingham Bowl, it was still the same story.
Finley originally earned the QB1 job at the beginning of this season, but Robby Ashford saw the field just as much as Finley, and after an injury to Finley’s shoulder, Ashford cemented his role as QB1 for the Tigers. As you might expect, Finley was not happy.
According to Auburn Live, Finley’s mother was unhappy with the team and parents finding out about Harsin’s firing through the media, and she expected the administration to keep parents in the loop going forward with the coaching search– something that is absolutely not going to happen.
After Finley chose not to travel with the team to Starkville this weekend for “personal reasons” it seems likely that the quarterback is eyeing the transfer portal as his next move. Will he follow Bryan Harsin to wherever his next coaching gig lands him? According to Jeffery Lee, Finley could be considering a move to Southeastern Louisiana University, where his younger brother plays football.
It is unknown when Finley will enter the portal if he chooses to do so, but it does seem certain that Auburn football will rally around Robby Ashford for the rest of the season without reverting back to the use of Finley.