LSU transfer QB reportedly considering Penn State
Last week saw LSU quarterback TJ Finley enter his name into the transfer portal. Now, a week after speculating about why Penn State might be wanting to check in on the transfer quarterback, it is being reported Finley could be considering Penn State among his potential destinations.
According to ESPN college football analyst Cole Cubelic, Finley’s decision could come down to either Auburn, Texas, or Penn State.
Keep an eye on Penn St, Texas & Auburn https://t.co/ti8IwmV6Y7
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) May 14, 2021
Auburn and texas would each be stiff competition for the transfer quarterback if it does come down to those three schools as Cubelic seems to suggest. Auburn, who travels to Penn State in the 2021 season and hosts Penn State in 2022, has a starting quarterback in line for the upcoming season in Bo Nix, but it would still be closer to Finley’s home in Louisiana. In many ways, the Auburn quarterback situation is similar to Penn State in that it lacks depth behind the supposed starting quarterback.
Texas is moving into the post-Sam Ehlinger era with new head coach Steve Sarkisian, who achieved great success as Alabama’s offensive coordinator as he reestablished his profile as a coach following his tough exit at USC. But the Longhorns are expected to have a good competition for starting quarterback this fall.
There are no easy “come join and you’ll start on Day 1” scenarios in play for Finley, although the idea of being a starter appears to be what he desires. Auburn and Penn State likely would see Finley be a top backup for a year before giving him a chance to be the full-time starter, and he’d walk right into a quarterback competition at Texas after trying to transfer out of a quarterback competition at LSU.
Finley does check off a lot of the boxes for what James Franklin and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Yurcich are potentially looking for in their transfer portal possibilities. Finley is experienced after playing with LSU in 2020, and he presents the kind of potential as a pro-style passer that could work in Yurcich’s offensive scheme.
We’ll continue to monitor the TJ Finley developments. A decision could come soon, according to 247 Sports.
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