Former SEC QB TJ Finley decides againt playing CFB in 2026, enters NFL Draft
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Former SEC quarterback TJ Finley has changed his mind on playing college football in 2026. It would have been his 7th season. Finley will instead enter the 2026 NFL Draft, per Pete Nakos of On3.
Finley previously signed as a transfer with Incarnate Word. It would have been the 7th stop of his college football career.
The first stop for Finley was LSUÂ in 2020, a season that does not count against his NCAA eligibility due to COVID-19 conditions. Appearing in 5 contests, Finley was 80-of-140 passing (57.1% complete) for 941 yards, 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
After his season at LSU, Finley switched sides in the Tiger Bowl rivalry, heading to The Plains. In 2021, Finley made 9 appearances for Auburn, completing 54.7% of his passes for 827 yards, 6 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Like Auburn’s season, 2022 did not go as planned for Finley. He further extended his eligibility by only playing in 4 games of the ’22 campaign, taking a redshirt. In those 4 appearances, he had just 1 touchdown pass to 4 picks, completing 62.3% of his passes for 431 yards.
After his stop at Auburn, Finley transferred to Texas State. He had a breakout season with the Bobcats in 2023. Playing in 13 games, Finley threw for 3,439 yards while completing 67% of his passes (279-of-414) with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 24-to-8. The QB, then listed at 6-7, 255, also rushed for 5 scores.
Finley landed at Western Kentucky in 2024. He started the first 3 games of the season before being sidelined due to injury early in the third game. In limited action, he was 48-of-75 passing for 490 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Both interceptions came against Alabama, where he turned in an 18-of-31 passing performance for 92 yards.
After WKU, Finley made a brief stop at Tulane. He left the program after an arrest in connection with a stolen car for illegally possessing an item worth more than $25,000. After his Tulane departure, Finley landed at Georgia State.
Finley appeared in 7 games for Georgia State, his 6th school, in 2025. He threw for 1,244 yards, 6 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in those games, with Georgia State posting a 1-6 record.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
