Auburn quarterback TJ Finley announced Tuesday his intention to enter the transfer portal after two years with the Tigers. Finley started the final three games of the 2021 season in place of injured starter Bo Nix and entered the 2022 season on top of the depth chart before an injury knocked him out of the starting lineup after three games. Finley transferred to Auburn from LSU prior to the 2021 season.
"The memories created here will never be forgotten," Finley wrote on Twitter. "Thank you for an amazing two years. With me graduating this summer, I will be entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer."
Finley threw for 431 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in 2022 before suffering a season-ending shoulder sprain against Penn State. He threw for 827 yards with six touchdowns in 2021 after Nix broke his ankle on Nov. 13 against Mississippi State. Finley threw for 325 yards with three touchdowns during the final three games of the year, and nearly orchestrated an upset win over rival Alabama in a four-overtime thriller.
Finley started five games at LSU, throwing for 941 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
Where does Auburn go from here at QB?
Finley's departure points to sophomore Robby Ashford -- last season's starter after Finley's season ended -- as the top option under center for first-year coach Hugh Freeze. Ashford proved to be a run-first quarterback last season as he racked up 709 yards rushing with seven touchdowns. However, he only completed 49.2% of his passes (123 of 250) with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Ashford is the frontrunner to win the starting job ... right now. However, former Nebraska and Texas starter Casey Thompson visited Auburn over the weekend. Thompson entered the portal himself on April 28, opening the door for former Georgia Tech signal-caller Jeff Sims to take the snaps for the Cornhuskers.
