TJ Finley's College Football Journey: A Transfer Portal Saga

TJ Finley's college football career has been anything but conventional. From his early days at LSU to his latest move to Georgia State, Finley's journey has been a whirlwind of transfers, competitions, and unexpected turns. His story exemplifies the modern college football landscape, where the transfer portal has empowered players to seek new opportunities, but also highlights the challenges and uncertainties that come with frequent movement.

Early promise at LSU

Finley's college career began in 2020 when he enrolled early at LSU. Despite being a true freshman, the 6'7", 255-pound quarterback quickly found himself in a prominent role for the reigning national champions. An injury to starter Myles Brennan opened the door for Finley, who stepped in and started five games. During that time, he threw for 941 yards, with five touchdowns and five interceptions, showing plenty of promise for the future. According to Rivals industry rankings, he was a three-star recruit and the No. 32 quarterback in the country.

However, the quarterback competition in the spring between Myles Brennan, Max Johnson, and TJ Finley led Finley to enter the transfer portal.

Time at Auburn

Finley landed at Auburn, where he spent most of the 2021 season backing up Bo Nix. He concluded the year as the starter when Bo Nix suffered a season-ending injury. In 2022, he won a fall camp battle to be named the Week 1 starter. However, Finley's opportunity eventually arrived as he won a fall camp battle to be named as the 2022 Week 1 starter. Finley lasted three games in the role before Auburn switched to Robby Ashford for the remainder of the season. The 2022 season would see Finley struggle and play less than when he was the backup which sent him back into the transfer portal. Finley spent two years on The Plains, but never established himself as a starter.

Breakout season at Texas State

After his time at Auburn, TJ Finley landed at Texas State, which looked like it was the best decision for his career. The season Finley envisioned finally arrived in 2023 at Texas State when he started all 13 contests, leading the Bobcats to their first bowl game and win in program history. The 8-5 Bobcats thrived thanks to Finley's career season which featured 3,439 passing yards on a 67.4 completion rate, complemented with 24 touchdowns to eight receptions. Finley also attained five rushing touchdowns in the Bobcats' best season to date. He completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns with 8 interceptions.

Despite his success, Texas State wanted to go in a different direction. He was initially committed to remaining at Texas State, but the program brought in former Washington State and Arizona starter Jayden de Laura to compete for the No. 1 job. Although de Laura wound up eventually leaving the program a week after arriving, Finley entered the transfer portal during the brief time he was on campus.

Brief stint at Western Kentucky

Finley's portal entry landed him at Western Kentucky where he competed with Caden Veltkamp for the starting job. He won the gig and started the first three contests before suffering a lower leg injury in Week 3 at Middle Tennessee. Veltkamp provided relief duties and posted 398 passing yards on a 27-of-30 showing that game, delivering five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Veltkamp never relinquished the starting role, winning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and guided the Hilltoppers to the conference championship stage. He only appeared in three games.

Suspended at Tulane

Finley entered the portal prior to WKU's bowl game and landed at Tulane on Dec. 16 which lost starter Darian Mensah to the portal earlier that month. He competed with Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary throughout the spring session, but on Apr. 4, the quarterback was indefinitely suspended from the program due to an arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle. Finley was arrested April 2 on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000, after police linked the license plate of a truck he was driving to a stolen vehicle in Atlanta. His attorneys claim Finley is the victim of a scam after buying a used truck via a social media marketplace. Finley is due in court June 1 in New Orleans. Tulane on Thursday received a commitment from quarterback transfer Brendan Sullivan, who started three games last season for Iowa and made some starts for Northwestern in 2022 and 2023.

New beginning at Georgia State

That made Finley a free agent from April onward, but the quarterback found a new home one week into the 2025 season at Georgia State. Quarterback TJ Finley officially completed his transfer to Georgia State and was added to the program's roster Monday. Georgia State represents the quarterback's sixth different school. The Panthers' QB play against Ole Miss was woeful. Christian Vellieux was 4 of 11 and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt.

It's not clear what Finley's exact role will be with Georgia State. He joins a Panther team fresh off a 63-7 decimation at Ole Miss where Christian Veilleux started the first half and Cameran Brown played the majority of the second half - combining to go 12-of-25 for 69 yards, with Veilleux contributing a touchdown and interception. Georgia State hosts Memphis on Saturday, Sept. 6, hoping to manufacture a statement upset over Ryan Silverfield and the Tigers.

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Finley's career statistics

The 27-game starter arrives with career statistics of 6,129 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and a 62.9 completion percentage.

A Transfer Portal Hall of Famer?

The Transfer Portal has allowed College Football players to move more freely than ever before. When deciding to use the transfer portal, most players only move once or twice, but occasionally, we see a player start to become synonymous with using the Transfer Portal. There may or may not be a Transfer Portal Hall of Fame but, if it's ever invented, TJ Finley will be a first ballot selection.