TJ Finley was once considered LSU’s great in-state hope, touted as the potential long-term replacement for Joe Burrow. Standing at six-foot-seven, “The Big Ponchatoula” seemed destined for success. However, it became clear early in 2020 that he and head coach Ed Orgeron were not a good fit, leading to Finley’s transfer to Auburn.
At Auburn, Finley was brought in to challenge Bo Nix, who had a disappointing 2020 season after a strong 2019 campaign. Despite head coach Bryan Harsin’s confidence in him, Finley never won over the Auburn fanbase, and by the end of the 2021 season, the QB competition between Finley and Nix had divided the fanbase. As the saying goes, “When you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”
Though Auburn had a potential future NFL QB1 on the roster, many were quick to criticize the situation when Nix transferred to Oregon. Finley’s journey continued with his recent announcement of entering the transfer portal for the fourth time, now seeking his fifth FBS team.
Saturday Down South offered a unique perspective on Finley’s career, describing him as a player who once showed promise at both LSU and Auburn, but injuries and other factors forced him to search for new opportunities. After stints at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, and Western Kentucky, Finley’s college football story resembles that of other transfer portal veterans like Alan Bowman and Cam Rising—players who maintain eligibility well into their 20s.
This is, in many ways, a reflection of the changing landscape of college football in the NIL era.
