QB who's been compared to Cam Newton replacing ex-Auburn football QB at Texas State

Jordan McCloud, who's been compared to Cam Newton in the past, is replacing former Auburn football quarterback TJ Finley at Texas State. Finley transferred to Western Kentucky this offseason, while McCloud left James Madison after an 11-2 season.

Saturday Blitz’s Jake Mitchell had evoked the names of Newton and Nick Marshall to compare to the JMU signal-caller, noting McCloud is not yet at either of their levels while pitching him as a potential portal option for Auburn.

“James Madison’s Jordan McCloud is the runner that Auburn is more accustomed to,” Mitchell prefaced before saying, “He’s not Cam Newton or Nick Marshall, but in 2023 he carried the ball 92 times for 311 yards and 8 touchdowns.

“He was especially great through the air, compiling 3,413 yards, 32 touchdowns compared to just 9 interceptions, and a passer rating of 167.4. This would be the 4th stop for McCloud, a senior who previously played at USF and Arizona before getting to James Madison. He’s been good everywhere, but 2023 was his breakout. What better way to cap off his career than a special season at Auburn? If they were able to hang with Georgia and Alabama on defense and the running game, imagine what they’ll do with a player like McCloud at quarterback.”

Former Auburn football QB TJ Finley steps down in conference again

Finley was initially the starter at his home-state's top instituition, LSU for the first year of his career and then spent two years at Auburn failing to solidify his status as a starting-caliber quarterback on the Plains.

His step down to the Sun Belt to star at Texas State was one of the best things to happen to his career; catapulting the six-foot-seven QB into future NFL draft conversations.

Now, stepping down once again, this time to the Conference USA, Finley could once again see his numbers spike in hopes of a pro career in the future.