In the era of college football, it's hard to say that a player is doing something that's never been seen before. As the Transfer Portal opened, we saw one of the wildest careers ever take another turn as quarterback TJ Finley entered the Transfer Portal, leaving Georgia State.
Coming out of High School, TJ Finley was a 3-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class signing in the same class as Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and several other NFL stars. TJ Finley opted to stay at home in Louisiana picking the LSU Tigers.
When Myles Brennan suffered a season-ending injury just 3 games into LSU's disastrous 2020 season, TJ Finley was thrust into action, starting 5 games for the Tigers, passing for 941 yards and 5 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.
After the season, TJ Finley transferred to Auburn, where he'd spent two seasons with the Tigers, appearing in 13 games with 6 starts. In his second season at Auburn, TJ Finley suffered a sprained AC joint, which limited him to just 3 starts and 4 appearances, leading to his decision to transfer to Texas State.
At Texas State, TJ Finley had the best season of his career, starting all 13 games, passing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for another 5 scores. TJ Finley then made the jump to Western Kentucky, but he suffered a season ending leg injury in Week 3.
Finley then opted for another return to Louisiana to play for Jon Sumrall and Tulane, but he was suspended from the team, landing back in the Sun Belt at Georgia State. At Georgia State, Finley split time in the quarterback role but did appear in 7 games.
TJ Finley lands at Incarnate Word as 7th school
On Tuesday Night, the wild ride for TJ Finley continued as he committed to Incarnate Word marking his 7th school.
NEWS: Transfer QB TJ Finley has signed with Incarnate Word, @PeteNakos reports.
— On3 (@On3) January 14, 2026
Finley has made stops at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, Tulane, WKU and GA State.https://t.co/U31NaOwnr0 pic.twitter.com/UYbtY8Go6t
Incarnate Word is a great landing spot for TJ Finley, as they've done an excellent job with quarterbacks in recent years. Cam Ward and Zach Calzada are great recent examples of quarterbacks who have spent time in the program before making the jump to the Power 4.
The fact that TJ Finley is on his 7th program does make it harder for him to develop, as he's constantly changing systems and playing with fresh faces. Hopefully for Finley, this final season can help him showcase his ability, giving him a chance to make it to the NFL.