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The Alabama Crimson Tide will kick off the 2024 college football season at home on Saturday against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, and there will be a familiar face under center for WKU as starting quarterback.
WKU head coach Tyson Helton met with the media on Monday and has named quarterback TJ Finley as the team’s starter for their Week 1 game against the Tide.
NEWS: Western Kentucky has named TJ Finley its starting quarterback.
The former LSU, Auburn, Texas State signal-caller will play his first game for the Hilltoppers vs. Alabamahttps://t.co/IGvFUf0BOf pic.twitter.com/rumJoa1gOE
— On3 (@On3sports) August 26, 2024
Finley should be a familiar name for anyone that has followed the SEC in recent years. He started his career by making stops at LSU and Auburn, starting in both places for a period of tine. Now, he’s in his first season with Western Kentucky.
Helton announced Monday that redshirt-junior transfer TJ Finley “will run out their first” against the Crimson Tide on Saturday, but said that there is a chance that redshirt-sophomore Caden Veltkamp sees the field as well.
“I’ve told both quarterbacks they both need to be ready to play. We’ll see how the game goes,” Helton said. “I felt like in camp, either one of those men were deserving of being a starter. You could flip a coin to be quite honest with you and somebody has to run out there first.”
Finley’s appearance will be his first with the Hilltoppers. Following stops at LSU, Auburn and Texas State, Finley committed to WKU in January.
Last season at Texas State, he threw for 3,429 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air and added another 5 touchdowns rushing.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
