T. J. Finley
| Tulane Green Wave | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 25, 2002 Ponchatoula, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| Bowl games | |
| High school | Ponchatoula High School (Ponchatoula, Louisiana) |
Tyler Jamal "T. J." Finley[1] (born March 25, 2002) is an American football quarterback for the Tulane Green Wave. Finley has previously played college football for LSU, Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky.
Early years
[edit]Finley grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and attended Ponchatoula High School.[2] He passed for 2,736 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in his junior season.[3] As a senior, Finley passed for 2,738 yards and 21 touchdowns and also scored eight rushing touchdowns.[4] Finley was rated a three-star prospect and the best quarterback prospect in the state and committed to play college football at LSU as a sophomore in high school over offers from Oregon, Alabama, and Auburn.[5]
College career
[edit]LSU
[edit]Finley enrolled at LSU a semester early in January 2020.[6][7] He was named the Tigers' starting quarterback leading up to the team's October 24, 2020, game against South Carolina following an injury to starter Myles Brennan.[8] In his first career start, Finley completed 17 of 21 pass attempts for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.[9] Finley started five games and finished the season with 80-of-140 passes for 941 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.[10]
After competing with quarterbacks Myles Brennan and Max Johnson in spring practice, Finley announced he would be entering the transfer portal.[11]
Auburn
[edit]On May 24, 2021, Finley announced that he would be transferring to Auburn over offers from Alabama, Penn State, and Houston.[12][13] On September 25, 2021, Finley would come in in the fourth quarter for a benched Bo Nix and throw the game-winning touchdown versus Georgia State.[14] Finley was named Auburn's starting quarterback for the Tigers' opening game of the 2022 season. On May 2, 2023, Finley announced his intention to transfer from the program.
Texas State
[edit]On January 16, 2024, Finley announced that he would enter the transfer portal for the third time.[15]
Western Kentucky
[edit]On January 22, 2024, Finley announced that he would transfer to Western Kentucky.[16]
On December 7, 2024, Finley announced that he would enter the transfer portal for the fourth time.[17]
Tulane
[edit]On December 16, 2024, Finley transferred to the Tulane Green Wave.[18]
College statistics
[edit]| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| LSU Tigers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 6 | 5 | 2−3 | 80 | 140 | 57.1 | 941 | 6.7 | 5 | 5 | 118.2 | 29 | 34 | 1.2 | 1 | |
| Auburn Tigers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 9 | 3 | 0−3 | 70 | 128 | 54.7 | 827 | 6.5 | 6 | 1 | 122.9 | 20 | –36 | –1.8 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 3 | 2−1 | 33 | 53 | 62.3 | 431 | 8.1 | 1 | 4 | 121.7 | 17 | 33 | 1.9 | 1 | |
| Texas State Bobcats | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 13 | 13 | 8−5 | 279 | 414 | 67.4 | 3,439 | 8.3 | 24 | 8 | 152.4 | 78 | 69 | 0.9 | 5 | |
| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 2-1 | 48 | 75 | 64.0 | 491 | 6.5 | 1 | 2 | 117.9 | 11 | 20 | 1.8 | 0 | |
| Tulane Green Wave | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Career[19] | 35 | 27 | 14−13 | 510 | 810 | 62.9 | 6,129 | 7.6 | 37 | 20 | 136.6 | 155 | 120 | 0.8 | 8 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley arrested following alleged police chase". WSFA. August 4, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Gillen, Garland (May 10, 2019). "LSU commit and Ponchatoula QB T.J. Finley is turning heads with his height and arm". Fox8Live.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "TJ Finley, 3-star QB out of Ponchatoula, stays in state, signs with LSU". The Advocate. December 18, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Shipp, Sonny (December 18, 2019). "TJ Finley signs with Tigers". 247Sports. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ "'LSU really sold out for me': Ponchatoula 2020 QB prospect TJ Finley commits to Tigers". The Advocate. May 29, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Dixon, Shea (January 28, 2019). "TJ Finley set to enroll early". 247Sports. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Alexander, Wilson (October 25, 2020). "'He's built for this moment': LSU quarterback TJ Finley ready if Ed Orgeron calls his name". The Advocate. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Scarborough, Alex (October 22, 2020). "LSU QB TJ Finley to start vs. South Carolina with Myles Brennan still hurt". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Brody (October 24, 2020). "TJ Finley makes statement debut, leads LSU to bounce-back win vs. South Carolina". The Athletic. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Kubena, Brooks (May 6, 2021). "Former LSU quarterback TJ Finley opens up about transfer decision, seeking 'best fit for me'". The Advocate. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (May 6, 2021). "LSU Tigers quarterback TJ Finley enters NCAA transfer portal". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ "Former LSU starting quarterback TJ Finley transferring to Auburn Tigers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Zenitz, Matt (May 23, 2021). "Auburn, Alabama among finalists for SEC QB transfer". AL.com. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Durando, Bennett (September 25, 2021). "How TJ Finley brought Auburn football from behind to avoid upset vs. Georgia State". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
- ^ Backus, Will (January 16, 2024). "Texas State QB T.J. Finley enters transfer portal on heels of Jayden de Laura committing to Bobcats". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Barral, Kevin (January 22, 2024). "Transfer Portal: TJ Finley, Former Texas State QB, Commits To Western Kentucky". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Nakos, Pete (December 7, 2024). "Western Kentucky QB TJ Finley plans to enter transfer portal". On3.com. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
- ^ "2025 College Football Transfer Portal".
- ^ "T.J. Finley College Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 9, 2023.