Auburn QB sends strong message on competition: ‘Slap in the face’

T.J. Finley appears to be offended by both of the past two Auburn football head coaches bringing in quarterbacks in the transfer portal to compete with him for the starting job. Finley shared his displeasure with additional portal QBs with Chris Gordy on the Locked-On the SEC podcast (h/t Auburn Daily).

“Just from the competition standpoint, they brought in Zach Calzada, they brought in Robby Ashford, in my head, to me, that’s a slap in the face that you don’t believe in what you already have,” Finley said. “That they bring in two guys, that are close to the same age as the guy you have that finished the season the previous year.” Finley then threatened to transfer even though his “heart is in Auburn.”

“I graduate in June, if I wanted to I could transfer as a grad transfer,” Finley said. “Right now my heart is in Auburn, but everything really is up in the air right now.”

T.J. Finley says he wouldn’t leave because of the Auburn football QB competition but for a better situation

Finley denied that he would be leaving the Plains simply because of the Auburn football quarterback competition — but instead, because he would’ve found a better situation for himself and his family.

“If I were to leave, it would not be because of the portal or competition, it would be simply because another school has a better situation for me and my family,” Finley said. “I am here right now. We will see what happens with conversations with the coaches over the next couple of weeks.”

Finley by and large sounded unenthused about being named the starter by Bryan Harsin in 2022, and with Hugh Freeze being critical of the six-foot-seven signal-caller during the A-Day broadcast, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to like what the new head coach has planned for the QB position.

Finley has previously been linked to Southeastern Louisiana due to the presence of his brother in the Lions’ receiving corps.