Tag: T.J. Finley

Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley to enter the transfer portal

He will enter as a graduate transfer after spending two seasons at Auburn.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has announced his plans to enter the transfer portal this summer as a graduate transfer, he broke the news on social media Tuesday afternoon.

Finley spent the past two seasons on the Plains after starting his career at LSU. As a graduate transfer, he will be immediately eligible at his next school despite already transferring once.

He came to Auburn after the 2021 season to compete with Bo Nix for the starting quarterback role. While he lost the job, he relieved Nix against Georgia State and led a late drive to complete the comeback win.

He once again was thrust into action when Nix suffered a season-ending injury against Mississippi State. He threw for 827 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception in nine games.

Finley won the starting job in 2022 but after a disappointing start to the season, Robby Ashford surpassed him and took over. Finley threw for 431 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions in four games.

His departure leaves Auburn with just three scholarship quarterbacks for the 2023 season, Ashford, Holden Geriner, and true freshmen Hank Brown. Hugh Freeze and Auburn have not shied away from recruiting a transfer quarterback and have been heavily connected to former Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson and Michigan State’s Peyton Thorn.

[mm-video type=video id=01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na/01gzcgrg99gnb1s8k7na-b0d038f2d8e3c9239a66d835472040a2.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1364]

Hugh Freeze explains process of finding the perfect transfer portal quarterback

Hugh Freeze is being picky about transfer portal quarterbacks, and that could be a good thing.

As the second transfer portal window begins to wind down, many Auburn fans are wondering why there has been a lack of movement regarding [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the quarterbacks currently occupying the portal.

Don’t worry, he hears your concerns.

“I get the tweets’ trust me,” Freeze said at a recent “AMBUSH” engagement in Huntsville. 

Freeze went on to say that he is very selective when it comes to finding the perfect quarterback not only for his scheme but for the program as a whole. His reasoning behind it should be reassuring to Auburn fans.

“Truthfully, I haven’t seen one yet that’s just, ‘Bam, that’s the no-brainer, and he’s ahead of the ones we have,’” Freeze said. “Every time a quarterback goes in the portal, (I say) ‘There he is! There he is!’ Then I watch the film, and I’m like, ‘No, that’s really not the one I’m looking for.’”

The current quarterback battle as it stands includes incumbent starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and redshirt freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. True freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], who has not arrived on campus yet, will also be a contender this summer. If the “no-brainer” never arrives in the portal, Freeze will be content to develop the talent that he already has on his roster.

“I kind of get excited about Holden (Geriner) and Robby (Ashford) and, you know, T.J. (Finley) and Hank Brown, who’s coming in,” Freeze said. “Does that mean we won’t continue to look?… I’m going to be excited to coach the ones we have and improve them. At the same time, I don’t ever want to be perceived as someone who didn’t say exactly what I was thinking.”

The spring transfer portal window closes Sunday, April 30. Several big names that remain uncommitted include Cincinnati’s Ben Bryant and Nebraska‘s Casey Thompson.

[polldaddy poll=12194779]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=702301474]

Freshman QB wants to have a say in Auburn’s ongoing battle

Freshman Hank Brown will be ready to compete once he arrives on campus this summer.

Now that spring practice has concluded, one thing is apparent about Auburn football’s quarterback battle… it is far from over.

Quarterbacks [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] each played adequate snaps in the abbreviated A-Day game back on April 8. But due to the cold, rainy conditions on that dreary Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, neither player was able to showcase exactly what they needed to do in order to separate themselves.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think, T.J. (Finley) did too,” Freeze said following Auburn’s A-Day game. “It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

Freeze has suggested that he is willing to dip into the transfer portal to find the right quarterback, but there is one player that is ready to have his shot at winning the quarterback battle.

[autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from Nashville that signed with Auburn as part of the 2023 signing class, has yet to arrive on campus. However, the ongoing quarterback battle has him excited to be able to show off what he can add to the Tigers’ offense.

“It’s definitely more motivation just for me to be ready,” Brown said in a recent interview with Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover. “When that time comes, to be able to compete with them, I’m super excited. I’m going to do whatever I can to help out.”

Brown is already familiar with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], as well as quality control coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag], as he was once committed to Liberty before Freeze made the move to Auburn. He spent time on campus earlier this spring watching practice and says that he is impressed with what each quarterback brings to the table, and how they can help him become a better signal caller.

“It was really awesome to see how three or four different quarterback guys are able to help us,” Brown said. “They all have different strengths, so it’s going to be such a blessing to be able to get feedback from them at all times. Being able to work with them and help me get through the playbook and working with my mechanics, it’s going to be awesome.”

Brown completed 73% of his passes for 3,264 yards during Lipscomb Academy’s 13-0 championship run in 2022, tossing 47 touchdown passes. He was led by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and current UAB head coach, Trent Dilfer.

Brown signed with Auburn during the early signing period as the No. 59 quarterback in the country, and the No. 34 player from Tennessee for the 2023 class.

Check out some of Brown’s senior year highlights here

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Auburn interested in bringing new faces in during second transfer portal window

No position is off-limits for Auburn and Hugh Freeze when the transfer portal opens on April 15.

Spring ball is over for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn Tigers and the staff is is the roster evaluation stage. It is no secret that there are areas of the team that could use some improvement and Freeze has been vocal about his intentions to find the best possible fit for each position.

The quarterback position has been one of the biggest areas of concern for the roster. [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] are the three options currently on the roster and each leaves something to be desired.

“I feel better than I did 15 practices ago,” Freeze said after A-Day. “I think from this point, now until the end of fall camp, there’s so much that needs to happen for somebody to solidify being ‘the guy.’ I think all have improved. I think all are still inconsistent with some things.”

An article from Auburn Undercover written by Christian Clemente lists some candidates that Auburn pursued in the winter. These include Greyson McCall from Coastal Carolina and Devin Leary from N.C. State. Neither option worked out for the Tigers, but Freeze is still trying to make not only the quarterback position but the roster as a whole, as deep as he possibly can.

Other positions of interest include offensive line, wide receiver, defensive line, and linebacker.

The transfer portal opens again on April 15th. In just a few days, Freeze and company will be able to go back to trying to put together the roster that will get Auburn back on track.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Paul Finebaum doubles down on Auburn’s need for a quarterback

The SEC analyst’s opinion on Auburn’s quarterback woes did not change following last Saturday’s A-Day game.

The quarterback battle at Auburn is one of the most anticipated not only in Auburn fans’ eyes but to college football fans across the country.

After hearing less than soothing reports during spring practice, the weather at Saturday’s A-Day game did not do the quarterbacks any favors, as all three contenders combined to throw just 12 passes in the cold, dreary atmosphere at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In limited action, Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] says that he saw some positives out of [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], but he also pointed out aspects of their game that he hopes to see improve.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think. T.J. (Finley) did too. It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

After watching the A-Day game on Saturday, radio show host and SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on the Birmingham radio show, McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. 

He did not have much faith in Auburn’s quarterbacks before the game, and he remains true to his thoughts after watching the game.

“It didn’t change much, and the conclusion is still the same: I think Auburn needs a quarterback,” Finebaum said. “I talked to Hugh Freeze on Friday before the game and you could tell he was saying the right things, but deep down, he knows quarterbacks and he knows he doesn’t have a quarterback on his roster that’s capable of getting Auburn out of the morass that it’s currently in and to the next level. So I think he’ll be pretty active in the portal.”

The next window of the transfer portal opens on Saturday, April 15, and last 15 days until Sunday, April 30. Finebaum says that Freeze will need to work hard to find Auburn’s next quarterback if that is the route he chooses.

“Now what are the odds of him finding the quarterback at this late date? I mean they’re not great, but you don’t know what’s going on on other rosters that could open the door,” Finebaum said.

Freeze reeled in the nation’s No. 4 transfer portal class during the winter window, trailing just Colorado, LSU, and Florida State. Expect Freeze and staff to work the portal beginning this weekend to boost several positions ahead of the 2023 season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

The fighter: T.J. Finley continues to face competition head on

Finley is keeping a positive attitude during the ongoing quarterback battle.

The 2023 season was a tested one for Auburn quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag].

After winning the quarterback battle during the summer, Finley would go on to play in just three games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season.

In those three games, however, he endured heavy criticism after throwing four interceptions to just one touchdown. Once his shoulder was back in playing shape, he elected to take a leave of absence from the program over the final four games of the season.

“I’m not really sure what triggered it, what prompted it,” Finley said Saturday when explaining his leave of absence. “I like to leave the past in the past and focus on the future. All I know is I’m a completely better person now mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and hopefully who I am right now can lead this team to a national championship.”

Now that he has returned to the team under new leadership, he is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to win the starting quarterback role. He says that it is his nature to compete, and he feels that he can contend with any quarterback in the country.

“I believe I can compete with anybody in the country, and that’s why I transferred here from LSU; I felt like I can compete with [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag],” Finley said. “Competition doesn’t scare me. I know who I am. I know what I can do, and with the right coaches, I know who I can grow into, and hopefully, this is the place. Competition brings the best out of everybody, and if you can’t handle competition, you don’t need to be in this industry.”

Now that Auburn’s football staff includes the likes of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag], and [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag], former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby says that Finley will have the best chance to compete as opposed to his chances during the [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] years.

“All the adversity he’s been through, he keeps going. He keeps fighting. He’s looking for more. I can relate to guys like that,” Bigsby said during the NFL combine in March. “He’s great. He’s going to be great. He’ll be fine. He’s just going to get around the right guys, and I feel like he is now. The right coaches are in, and he’s going to do what he has to do.”

Finley will be in stiff competition with [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] for the top spot on Auburn’s quarterback depth chart. In last Saturday’s A-Day game, Finley completed one pass for four yards in a rain-soaked contest.

[mm-video type=video id=01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf/01gwpsm9p4cdw1scpvrf-b5f2583e56b6fb9bbb8ec34d83b9adc4.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Hugh Freeze provides post A-Day quarterback battle update

A-Day’s weather conditions limited what Auburn’s quarterbacks could do on Saturday. How much did that affect the race?

Now that A-Day has come and gone, the biggest question that still surrounds the Auburn Tigers football program ahead of the 2023 season is “Who will be the starting quarterback?”

Saturday’s weather conditions did not help matters, as [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], and [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] combined to complete 5-of-12 passes for 60 yards and zero touchdowns. Despite the rain, all three quarterbacks were positive with the media following the game.

“To go out there and end the spring strong with the guys, it was fun. These 15 practices have been fun,” Ashford said after the game. “It was good to be back in the crib, back in the most beautiful stadium in the world. You can’t beat it.”

How has the race progressed since the beginning of spring practice in February? Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said Saturday that there are still several boxes that need to be checked, but overall, he is positive about each quarterback’s progressions.

“I thought all three of them responded to our challenges and were like, ‘please coach us,'” Freeze said of his quarterbacks during the spring period.

Freeze went on to say that what Auburn fans saw on Saturday out of the quarterbacks is consistent with how they have performed all spring.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think. T.J. (Finley) did too. It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

Freeze and staff will continue to evaluate the position before naming the top guy, but the competition is truly bringing out the best in each contestant says Finley.

“Anywhere in the country, guys are competing, at each and every school. It’s always good to compete,” Finley said. “You need competition to bring the best out of you each and every day, and I think we’re all responding to it well.”

The next item on the agenda to watch is the second window of the transfer portal opening on April 15. The window was set to open on May 1 and last until May 15, but the revision now calls for the portal to re-open on April 15 and last until April 30.

[polldaddy poll=12087266]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

What is the one question that Auburn must answer ahead of the 2023 season?

Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports has one question for each SEC team this spring. How will Auburn answer its biggest question?

Spring practice is winding down on Auburn’s campus, as we are just over a week away from the annual A-Day game.

There have been plenty of positives, as well as a few bewilderments, about Auburn football during the spring period. But head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is confident that he can get the ship turned around ahead of the 2023 season.

As the spring practice period is starting to heat up across the county, one college football analyst took time to examine each SEC program’s biggest question. What is Auburn’s biggest question? Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports would like to know who will be QB1 on the Plains.

Dual-threat weapon [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] got the majority of the snaps for the Tigers last season after veteran pro-style signal-caller [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] suffered an injury in Week 3. It’s no secret that first-year coach Hugh Freeze went shopping in the transfer portal during the winter window, but it’s up to the two former starters to impress him between now and the Tigers’ spring game on April (8). Is Auburn’s quarterback on campus? Ashford has some work to do as a passer, and it has been difficult for Finley to stay healthy throughout his career.

Although Freeze has been critical of his current quarterback situation, he says that the unit as a whole has improved over the last week. Ashford and Finley have each gotten reps this spring with the first-team offense, but true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] has made an impression on Freeze.

“I thought (Geriner) really stood out all week with his improvement and his play,” Freeze said during a recent media availability. “Not that the others didn’t improve, but I thought his grasp of what we were trying to do, he was impressive with it last week.”

Auburn fans will get their chance to make their own judgments about the quarterback room on Saturday, April 8 when the team takes the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the annual A-Day game.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor Jones on Twitter @TaylorJones__.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Auburn football: Nonconference tilt listed among best matchups of 2023

Auburn will play in one of college football’s most intriguing games this season according to one college football expert.

Auburn football’s 2023 slate features one of the more unique nonconference games in all of college football, which is a Sept. 9 date in Berkeley, California against the California Golden Bears.

Auburn and Cal have never met on the gridiron before, but one college football expert says that this game is worth keeping an eye on.

Grant Hughes of 247Sports recently dropped his picks for the 23 best matchups of the 2023 season, and the early season, nonconference tilt made the cut. Hughes says that Auburn’s quarterback situation could dictate the outcome of the contest.

Cal’s home opener presents one of the most intriguing culture shocks of the season as Auburn makes the long trip out west for its first-ever matchup with the Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. As it stands, Auburn has three players vying to be Hugh Freeze’s first starting quarterback at Auburn. Starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] returns after an up-and-down 2022 season, along with junior [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Whoever wins the starting job will look to keep Cal from claiming its first win against an SEC opponent since its 28-20 win over Ole Miss in 2019.

According to records compiled by Winsipedia, Auburn is 10-3 all-time against teams from the Pac 12, with their most recent win coming against Oregon in the 2019 season opener. The Tigers have also claimed wins over Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado, Arizona, and USC. As for Cal, they are 11-11 all-time against SEC foes.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor Jones on Twitter @TaylorJones__.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Ranking Freeze-coached QBs by yearly production

How do quarterbacks usually perform under the direction of Hugh Freeze? Here’s a look at the top ten passing performances by Freeze-led QBs

One of the biggest questions surrounding Auburn football as they prepare to begin the first season of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era is “how much of an improvement will the quarterbacks show under his direction?”

Auburn has three quarterbacks that are currently going through spring drills: [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Ashford and Finley have the most experience, but Geriner has a great arm that will keep him in the mix for the starting job.

In his time as a collegiate head coach, Freeze has developed several great quarterbacks who have thrown for over 3,000 yards in a single season such as Chad Kelly, Bo Wallace, and Ryan Aplin. Could Auburn see that type of production in its’ quarterbacks under Freeze’s watch? It appears that it could happen.

What can Auburn fans expect out of their quarterbacks now that Freeze is over the program? Here’s a look back at Hugh Freeze’s top passers from his time at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and Liberty.