College football transfer quarterback joins 7th school in 7 seasons

It's been a long time since TJ Finley started his college football career. A long time. And he's not done yet.

John Reed-Imagn Images

Few players have taken quite so much liberty with the college football transfer portal than quarterback TJ Finley, and now the veteran signal caller set to land with his seventh school in as many seasons once the 2026 campaign kicks off.

Finley will play for Incarnate Word in the 2026 college football season, the latest stop in a unique and long career trajectory, according to On3 Sports.

The quarterback most recently suited up for Georgia State, one of several stops he’s taken in an NCAA career that first began back during the Covid season in 2020.

Where he's been so far

Finley initially played for LSU back when Ed Orgeron was still in charge before heading to SEC rival Auburn, followed by a stint at Texas State, then to Tulane in the Group of Five, then Western Kentucky, and finally Georgia State this past season.

The quarterback has forged quite a path for himself in the modern college football landscape, longer than most players who usually get the four-year treatment, if that, as many decide to exit the collegiate ranks early to turn pro.

What he did in 2025

Standing at 6-foot-7, Finley hit on 127 of 201 passes this past season at Georgia State, completing just over 63 percent of his attempts, while covering 1,244 yards in the air, adding six touchdowns and throwing seven interceptions in seven games.

His best outing to date

Finley’s single-best season came in 2023, when at Texas State he had 3,439 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions, rushing for an additional five touchdowns.

Finley was awarded two extra years of eligibility since his freshman season came in 2020, when the world was mired in the Covid-19 pandemic, and when college football was eager to give players more eligibility to make up for it.

He also got a redshirt in the 2022 season when at Auburn since he only played in four games that year for the Tigers.

His most recent stop

Finley, now a father of three children, transferred to Tulane for the 2025 football season, but never played at the school after he was suspended indefinitely.

That came after he was arrested for illegal possession of stolen items valued at $25,000, which took place after police connected the vehicle he was driving to a missing vehicle.

His lawyers said Finley claimed he bought the truck on Facebook Marketplace and that he was the victim of a scam.

Finley, who played three games in 2024 at Western Kentucky after a season-ending injury, announced on Instagram that he applied for a seventh year of eligibility from the NCAA.

“The last two years have been the most challenging seasons of my life,” he said.

“Balancing new fatherhood, injuries, and adversity off the field has tested me in ways football never could.”

(On3)