Penn State lost out on one of its potential top quarterbacks from the transfer portal today when TJ Finley announced that he is transferring from LSU to Auburn. Penn State was one of his four finalists.
Finley started five games for LSU last season, completing 80-of-140 passes for 941 yards with five TDs and five interceptions. He was a 3-star QB recruit coming out of high school in Louisiana.
Below is Finley’s video announcement choosing Auburn.
— TJ Finley⚡️ (@tj_finley1) May 24, 2021
So, Penn State not only will not be getting Finley, it actually could play against him this fall when Auburn visits Beaver Stadium in week three. Bo Nix was Auburn’s starting quarterback last season and is expected to start again this year, although Finley could get an opportunity to compete for the job.
Penn State still has only three scholarship QBs — Sean Clifford, Ta’Quan Roberson, Christian Veilleux — so the Nittany Lions probably need to go out and find someone from the transfer portal. Whether that quarterback is someone expected to compete for playing time or just to add depth remains to be seen.
Clifford is a two-year starter who has two seasons of eligibility left, so it will be difficult for the coaches to promise much to any transfer quarterback about coming in and competing for the starting job.
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