If you’re an Auburn football fan, you know the story of the Tigers’ quarterbacks has been a roller coaster ride for some time now. The Bo Nix legacy dream began to crack under Bryan Harsin and non-SEC defenses and LSU transfer TJ Finley looked like the answer to the team’s problems.
Fast forward to the end of the 2021 season, when Bo Nix became injured and had to miss the final few games of the season. With TJ Finley thrown into the fire at the end of the season, the Tigers basically crashed and burned. However, the damage was already done, and Bo’s time with Auburn football was decidedly over.
Entering the 2022 offseason the Tigers saw a five-quarterback battle between Dee Davis, Zach Calzada, Robby Ashford, TJ Finley, and Holden Geriner. Davis entered the portal pretty early on, and fans spent the summer thinking Calzada would lead Auburn football to victory.
Then, TJ Finley was announced as QB1, but Finley never played a game in 2022 without trading spots with Robby Ashford until a shoulder injury sustained in the Penn State game knocked Finley out of the race for good. Ashford solidified his role as QB1, and rumors swirled about Finley and his role on the team.
Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff will return Robby Ashford and rising redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, and they’ve signed 2023 quarterback Hank Brown. We also know they are actively looking for a transfer QB. But what about Finley?
After Freeze was hired, it was reported that Finley’s family was unhappy with their lack of involvement and awareness throughout the hiring process, so it has been assumed by many that he will enter the transfer portal following his graduation in the spring.
As for potential destinations, the quarterback himself posted a story to his personal social media with the location tag reading “Ohio State University” and it was later posted to Twitter by Buckeyes Insider:
Former Auburn QB TJ Finley is in Columbus.
— Buckeyes Insider (@buckeyesinsider) January 5, 2023
I don’t know how I’d feel about this addition. Probably would prefer to pass. pic.twitter.com/qf24IaOgDq
One thing to remember about this news is that Finley is not yet in the transfer portal, which means communication with other programs and coaches is pretty limited. Does Finley’s cryptic post indicate his interest in the school or is it just typical stirring of the pot? To get any real answers, we’ll likely have to wait until the quarterback has officially entered his name into the portal.