COVID-year quarterbacks amazingly continue to remain in College Football. T.J. Finley, famous for playing for a whopping five schools and committing and transferring to another, in six years since the 2020 season, wants a seventh year of eligibility.
The former LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers, Texas State Bobcats, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Tulane Green Wave (technically), and Georgia State Panthers signal-caller is filing an NCAA waiver to continue his tour of the culturally southern United States. Presumably.
Who knows where Finley will end up next. Finley lamented leaving San Marcos, Texas, calling the last two years on the Hilltoppers and Panthers the most challenging of his life.
“The last two years have been the most challenging seasons of my life. Balancing new fatherhood, injuries, and adversity off the field has tested me in ways football never could,” Finley said.
TJ Finley lasted longest at Auburn
Finley's life was best in Central Texas. At least on paper. He was thriving with the Bobcats on the field, setting program records and making history. It seemed his worst stops were in his home state of Louisiana, while he clearly wasn't a fan of being in Georgia or Kentucky.
Truth be told, he didn't have a bad draw at Auburn, on the field, anyway, getting looks as Bo Nix's understudy, and even looking like the hero at times, before being named QB1 in 2022 by Bryan Harsin. Finley didn't last long as the team's starting signal-caller, getting a necessary yank after a 41-12 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions in Week 3. He preserved a redshirt and attempted to be named QB1 under Hugh Freeze in 2023. Unfortunately, it was clear during a rainy A-Day that he was not going to cut it in what turned out to be a disjointed collaborative effort from Freeze and Philip Montgomery.
He had more serious chances on the Plains than his other Power 4 stop, his home state Bayou Bengals.
With that said, maybe a return to Texas State is what's best for Finley if he can get over G.J. Kinne and his offensive coaching staff bringing in James Madison Dukes transfer Jordan McCloud ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Unless that happens, Finley's longest tenure in College Football would've been AU.