Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
By Chris Marler
The transfer portal is a mess. That’s not really up for debate at this point.
Hating the players that are taking advantage of its benefits seems a little foolish though. Sure, there are some examples that are obviously rooted in selfish behavior. Colorado offensive lineman Jordan Seaton asking the Colorado social media team to put together a video to announce his return only to use the video as a vessel to announce he would be entering the transfer portal is one of those examples.
Another player that’s caught a lot of strays in the last few days is former LSU quarterback TJ Finley.
I’m sorry. I should rephrase. Former LSU, Auburn, Texas State, Tulane, Western Kentucky, Georgia State, and current Incarnate Word quarterback, TJ Finley.
NEWS: Transfer QB TJ Finley has signed with Incarnate Word, @PeteNakos reports.
Finley has made stops at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, Tulane, WKU and GA State.https://t.co/U31NaOwnr0 pic.twitter.com/UYbtY8Go6t
— On3 (@On3) January 14, 2026
That many logos on a graphic is obviously going to generate a double take. It’s also going to generate a lot of frustration about the state of college football because of the transfer portal, and in turn it generated a lot of unnecessary hate towards Finley.
I don’t know TJ Finley. What I do know about TJ Finley is that he has been in the transfer portal more than Jennifer Lopez has been engaged. The other thing I know about TJ Finley is that he has three kids.
You can make the assumption that TJ Finley hasn’t always made the best choices for his future. I wouldn’t try to argue that assumption either, but Finley has responsibilities. He also has dreams. Whether you like it or not, he’s addressing both of those things by making this move.
I don’t know the ins and outs of his NIL deal. I do know that their last three quarterbacks have all had at least one season of over 4,000 yards of offense and 40 touchdowns. That includes last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward throwing for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns in 2021. It also includes his successor Lindsey Scott Jr. throwing for 4,657 yards and 60 touchdowns a year later.
TJ Finley is now a father of three and trying to play for his 7th team in 7 years. He still wants to prove he can make an NFL roster.
“I’m not stopping until I get there, no matter how it looks.”
We discussed why he’s back in the transfer portal: https://t.co/sUVlureD3p pic.twitter.com/k0PZDk6Atd
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) December 23, 2025
In December, TJ Finley sat down with Wilson Alexander of The Advocate and explained that he still wants to prove he can make an NFL roster saying this about being in the transfer portal once again.
“I’m not stopping until I get there, no matter how it looks.”
Good. Don’t stop. Let fans be mad all they want. They can be mad at the process and parameters the sport itself has created. Don’t be mad about a 23 year old taking advantage of an opportunity being given to him to better his own life.
TJ Finley playing his final season of college football at Incarnate Word has no bearing on almost any of our lives. The transfer portal can be dumb. Being mad at him for being in it is dumber.
More SEC News
