Former Auburn Quarterback Set To Start Vs Alabama Crimson Tide

The Auburn Tigers have a former quarterback starting against the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on Alabama this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium as new head coach Kalen DeBoer kicks off his inaugural season with the Tide. TJ Finley, a former Auburn QB that transferred to play for the Hilltoppers this offseason, has been named the starting quarterback for WKU.

“TJ will run out there first,” WKU head coach Tyson Helton said . “But I’ve told both quarterbacks that they both need to be ready to play. We’ll see how the game goes. I feel like at Camp either one of those men were deserving of being the starter. You can flip a coin to be quite honest. Somebody has to run out there first.”

Finley was in competition with redshirt sophomore Caden Veltkamp for the job. The 6-foot-7 Finley began his career with the LSU Tigers before spending two seasons at Auburn. In 2023, he completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Texas State Bobcats. He will finish up his collegiate career with the Hilltoppers, who are projected to finish second in Conference USA behind the Liberty Flames.

Over the course of four seasons, Finley has completed 62.9% of his passes for 5,628 yards, 36 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has also added eight rushing touchdowns.

Auburn will open their schedule with quarterback Payton Thorne, who is returning for his super senior season. Hugh Freeze recently made it clear that he has a lot of confidence in his veteran quarterback.