On Monday, a wave of players across the country began announcing their intentions to enter the transfer portal ahead of its winter opening from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16.
Many of those entrants are quarterbacks with multiple years of eligibility remaining. However, one player is attempting something truly unprecedented: Georgia State quarterback TJ Finley has entered the portal while reportedly filing for a seventh year of eligibility.
If granted, Finley would be seeking to play for his seventh team in seven years. His winding collegiate career began at LSU, where he redshirted, before transferring to Auburn for two seasons and briefly serving as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.
Since then, the 23 year old has continued to bounce around the college football landscape, making stops at Texas State, Western Kentucky, Tulane (where he never logged a snap), and most recently Georgia State.
“The last two years have been the most challenging of my life. Balancing new fatherhood, injuries, and adversity off the field has been tested in ways football never could,” Finley wrote on Instagram. “Through it all, my love for the game never left. Football is who I am. I still love competing, leading, and playing at the highest level.
“Due to a season-ending injury sustained in 2024, I am applying for a 7th year and I’ve decided to pursue it fully. I thank God for carrying me through the storm and allowing me to put everything behind me as I move forward to 2026. I’m focused, healthy, and motivated. I look forward to finishing my career at a university that gives me an opportunity to compete, lead and finish strong. The story isn’t over.”
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He has played a full 13-game season as a starter just once in his career — in 2023 at Texas State — when he completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Across his college career, Finley has totaled 7,372 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. This past season at Georgia State, he threw for just six touchdowns while recording seven interceptions. They went 1-6 across his seven starts.
Finley will need the NCAA to grant him a seventh year of eligibility, but given how college football continues to evolve — and the unique path his career has taken — it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that he receives it.
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