Hook'em Headlines
Fansided

Texas Football: Longhorns a potential landing spot for LSU QB T.J. Finley

By Andrew Miller

Apr 17, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback TJ Finley (11) warms up with LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (5) on the sidelines during the first half of the annual Purple and White spring game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2021; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback TJ Finley (11) warms up with LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (5) on the sidelines during the first half of the annual Purple and White spring game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

A mostly quiet offseason on the front of bringing in quarterbacks out of the NCAA Transfer Portal has now switched for the Texas football program and new head coach Steve Sarkisian in the month of May. Texas now looks to be after a big name that is recent to show up in the transfer portal this month, in the former LSU Tigers freshman quarterback and the lofty 6-foot-6 and 250 pound T.J. Finley.

According to a 247Sports report heading into the weekend, the former LSU quarterback and Elite 11 participant Finley is on the Longhorns radar after he put his name in the transfer portal on May 6. Finley was one of the more surprising names to show up in the transfer portal at this point of the offseason, as he looked to be firmly in the midst of the LSU starting quarterback battle.

Although Texas does at least look to be set this year at the quarterback position, a lot of uncertainly still looms moving forward under Sark’s direction as head coach. You can’t look past the fact that the Longhorns are missing star quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who is now in the NFL after getting drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.

More on Texas football pursuing transfer QB T.J. Finley

Texas is reportedly one of three schools worth following that is pursuing Finley out of the transfer portal this offseason. The other two to watch are the Auburn Tigers and Penn State Nittany Lions.

Finley did get a decent amount of playing time for head coach Ed Orgeron and the Tigers last season during his true freshman campaign. Last fall, Finley registered just under 1,000 passing yards in five games played, five passing touchdowns, five interceptions, just over 30 rushing yards, and one rushing score.

The numbers from Finley’s true freshman campaign aren’t great, but he came under a lot of pressure to follow up the departure of a legendary quarterback who had an all-time great season in Joe Burrow. No one could really find footing under center with LSU last season.

Coming out of Ponchatoula High School in Louisiana during the 2020 recruiting cycle, Finley did hold offers from the likes of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn before committing to LSU. So when Sark was on staff with head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, his school was pursuing Finley on the recruiting trail.

At that time, Finley ranked as the nation’s No. 499 2020 high school prospect, No. 19 pro-style quarterback, and No. 19 prospect out of Louisiana (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranked him as the No. 18 pro-style quarterback and No. 35 prospect out of Louisiana.

Next. Predicting the Longhorns next 2022 5-Star commit. dark

Texas was not one of the nearly 20 schools on Finley’s offer sheet during his recruitment. But it does look like the Longhorns are interested in what he brings to the table now. He might have to wait behind the likes of Hudson Card and Casey Thompson, but he would bring more young and potent depth to the quarterback room on the Forty Acres.

Home/Texas Football