Auburn Football’s TJ Finley Joins The Show, Recaps Auburn Spring & Discusses His Future

happening everybody on today's show our exclusive interview with Auburn quarterback TJ Finley we'll talk about how the spring went with new head coach Hugh freeze and whether he plans to stay at Auburn or enter the transfer portal also we'll get you caught up to date on the transfer portal stuff going on in football and basketball lockdown SEC Starts Now you are locked on SEC your daily podcast on the Southeastern Conference part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day [Music] and what's happening everybody welcome into lockdown SEC great to have you guys along I'm Chris Gordy uh thanks for making us your first listen every day of course lockdown SEC covering your team every day and shout out to our everydayers who subscribe and check us out every single day I appreciate you guys let's jump into it plenty to discuss before we get to TJ Finley let's go around the conference boots out to the right around the conference and we start with the transfer portal latest and we got to go over to the Georgia Bulldogs as Ryan Davis the latest Georgia player to hit the transfer portal according to reports uh multiple Reports say Ryan Davis bear Alexander and Sean Washington have all entered their names to the portal at Georgia Davis has been with the dogs since 2019 played in 23 games dealt with tons of injuries throughout his career played nine games over his first three years this past year playing 14 games recorded 15 tackles so uh look Jordan spinner couldn't a high level there's a lot of good players fighting for playing time there and uh you know presumably some of these guys maybe not uh guaranteed a starting spot or rotational spot and maybe looking for greener pastures elsewhere meanwhile over at Alabama Nick Saban losing a tight end to the transfer portal Elijah Brown who's part of that 22 22 recruiting class he's out of the state of Ohio was rated four stars the number 13 tight end in the country in 2022 it offers from tons of schools like LSU Kentucky Auburn but picked Alabama did not record any playing time with the tide took a red shirt his freshman year and uh he will be hitting the transfer portal meanwhile over at Missouri defensive lineman Ian Matthews is back into the portal he spent a year with Mizzou after beginning his career at Auburn now he'll be looking for his third program in three years it was a three-star recruit back in 2021 was rated the number 81 defensive lineman in the country that year also Mizzou Marcus Scott was part of the 2022 class he is hitting the portal he took the social media thanked Eli drinkowicz for running a first-rate operation as he said but said he wants to explore his options elsewhere five foot eleven 180 pounds was a four-star recruit out of high school the number 40 cornerback in the class of 2022. and some current recruiting news uh Georgia on Monday Big Five Star tight end and in-state Prospect Landon Thomas decommitted from the Georgia Bulldogs instead committed to Mike norvell's Florida State program for the class of 2024. 24 7 Sports has them at 604 235 pounds the top tight end in the country 24th overall player nationally and look George is going to be just fine uh they get almost every Big Time recruit that they want so losing this one while it stings look they just brought in a pair of four star tight ends in this class in Pierce spurlin and lost and lucky they both look really good five-star Prospect uh Elias Williams he is committed in this class of 2025 at tight end so a little bit of a log Jam there and oh by the way that Brock Bowers guy still has another season to play over at Tennessee Josh heipel picking up his ninth commitment of the 2024 class three star safety Idris Farouk number 47 safety in the country number 17 player out of the state of Maryland uh pretty good class building up for Josh heipel and crew they picked up a commitment from Five Star Edge Jonathan Eckles back in uh mid-2022 and currently ranked the number 10 overall class in the country with four top 150 prospects so they are doing just fine over at uh or back at Alabama Bryce young made a notable decision about his prep for the NFL draft this week he canceled his remaining pre-draft visits according to the NFL Network and a lot of momentum building that he will be the number one pick in this draft to the Carolina Panthers and uh rumors about about that's why he is shutting down his visit so man big news there first Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in the history of Alabama could be the number one pick of the NFL draft so we will see next week in basketball transfer portal news L Ellis a guard transfer from Louisville has committed to play at Arkansas he averaged close to 18 points and four and a half assists last season Arkansas's been busy in that portal man they now have landed five transfers including Kion meadowfield tremon Mark Khalif battle and Jeremiah Davenport they are also bringing two top 30 recruits uh El Ellis by the way earned all ACC honorable mentioned honors last year so Eric Musselman putting in some work in that portal over at Arkansas uh other guys around the conference miles stute is uh committed to South Carolina he spent the last three seasons at Vanderbilt including two as a starter started 56 games with the Commodores the last two years so uh miles stute heading to South Carolina Deshawn Ruffin over at Ole Miss announced he will be entering the transform portal so he will not stick it out and play with Chris beard he stepped away from the rebels program in early February to focus on mental and physical health following multiple injuries uh RJ Melendez a transfer from Illinois he is transferring to Georgia he's a former top 100 recruit was a four-star small forward back in 2021 Florida Gators Ford Alex fudge declared for the NBA draft the sophomore announced this decision on social media we'll give up the remaining College eligibility and head to the draft the NBA draft combine scheduled to take place May 15th through 21st ESPN's Jonathan giovoni he's currently not even in his latest mock draft first or second round so I wonder on that decision Florida basketball did add a commitment from former Seton Hall Center Tyree Samuel following an official visit this past weekend he has one season of Eligibility remaining and chose the Gators overweight Forest so just some updates there on SEC basketball transfers heading into next year thank you guys for making lockdown SEC your first listen every day coming up next our conversation with Auburn quarterback TJ Finley on what the spring was like for him and what uh his future holds we'll get to that in just a second but first I want to remind you guys this episode is presented to you by our friends over at FanDuel Grand Slams no hitters and double plays are back and there's no better way to get in on the MLB action than FanDuel America's number one sports book that's because right now new customers could step up to the plate with a no sweat first bet up to one thousand dollars just go to fanduel.com locked on place your first bet and get up to one thousand dollars back in bonus bets if you don't win don't miss your chance go get that no sweat first bet up to one thousand dollars when you join FanDuel today again website very easy fanduel.com lockdown go there sign up and FanDuel they are the official partner of Major League Baseball [Music] going along here locked on SEC and we'll be going around the conference this week we've been recapping a lot of what happened in different spring games of course we've had different uh guys from the SEC join us throughout the fall and the spring and a guy making uh I think his second or third visit with us here on a locked on SEC he is Auburn quarterback TJ Finley jumping in with us now TJ welcome in man how are you I'm doing good Chris thank you for having me on I appreciate it yeah definitely man um let's just start here another spring coming gone we saw uh Auburn spring game uh just about two weeks ago and um look not the best playing conditions it was cold it was rainy all that so hard to get a good working as a quarterback but just overall how was your spring of 2023 it was very good very productive as a unit especially offensively we learned an entire new offense and and less than a month and a half um and we we still have a lot of work to do I think we made a lot of good steps forward um in the right direction um and and spring is always important just to see what type of Team you'll have going into summer and going into fall camp now that uh we have the building blocks of our offense we're ready to really open up some things and see what some guys can do um in in open space and and uh offensively I think we look good now let's take it back with you because you know we go back to you come out of Ponchatoula you go to LSU you play some games start some games as a freshman there at LSU you go to Auburn you have Brian harson you have uh you know Eric Kisa takes over zoc now you have a few freeze and Philip Montgomery so I'm trying to count it's either your fourth or fifth different uh OC you've had in your in your football career but uh how different is this Playbook and is there a little something you could take away from all these different OCS you've had throughout the years yeah each and every uh each and every OC you know has taught and brought different things to the table whether it's play action whether whether it's the RPO game whether it's the Run game um whether it's just coverage and putting your eyes in the right spot things like that um are things that I've continued to grow and pick up on throughout my my 10-year uh hit you know here whether it was at LSU or here at Auburn um each offensive coordinator is different in their own you know own ways and they're they're each unique um but you know I'm looking forward to the challenges that that come with um you know having a different OC each and every year you know you never know what can happen at the next level as well you might have a different head coach you know you're getting traded to all these different teams and all that so um it's just the Battle of life and the Battle of college football and I think I'm handling it pretty well now not asking you to compare and contrast but just this system in itself we've heard Hugh freezes run some you know maybe not super complicated but a little bit more intricate uh playbooks him mixed with Philip Montgomery how how hard has it been to learn this Playbook because I know Hugh even said early in Spring yeah it's taking the quarterbacks a little adjustment to get used to all the new playbook new terminology and all that how tough was it for you to kind of uh adjust and adapt to this new playbook foreign yeah um once I got the hang of it and like I said once the whole offense as a as a as a whole got the building blocks of this off into what we wanted to accomplish whether it's on the ground or through the air I think it was easier the further we got along through spring to Johnson to adapt um to what we wanted to to you know see out of the offense um but what God's got to understand is we we went through uh well most of the guys that that's in the offense now we went through a whole two-year system with coach Brian harson um whether where it was more downhill physical run game play action under Center things like that um that were implemented during those two years so uh with Coach freeze coming in in the spring and changing everything and you know we're we're more fast tempo uh up pace type of team now um last year the past two years we huddled and and things like that it's just God's got guys need time to get accustomed to the new ways that we're trying to be and I think that's why it was so important that that in the spring we got those building blocks established to where we can go and and uh build up on those things in the summer and going into fall camp take me back through last season I know that the year kind of starts um you know it was still kind of an open competition I guess it was it was you and there was Robbie and you were both playing early on and then kind of Robbie you know grabbed the bull by the Reigns but what was last season like for you with going through the ups and downs Brian harson gets fired Cadillac takes over I mean had to be just an emotional season not just for you but but for the entire team yeah um it was it was a very emotional team like just from the from the top down um you know even from the competition standpoint they they brought in zap calzada they brought in Robbie Ashford um and so in my head that to me that's a slap in the face um you know that you don't believe in what you already have um that you bring in two guys that are close to the same ages as the guy you have uh that finished the season the the following year um so my my mind immediately goes into let's work mode and I think that's what I did um and I proved to everybody that I deserve to be the starter yet um you know we never got you know neither one neither me or Robbie never never really got the the go-ahead to be like okay you're the starter even though I was named the starter as you can see the first three games um it was kind of a 50 50 thing he he was running the ball I was throwing the ball so teams gotta you know luckily we played teams like Mercer and we we skinned the teeth away with uh San Jose State but you know as you can see once we got closer to Penn State and those teams they kind of figured it out that when I was out the game we would most like a running the ball when I was in the game we were throwing the ball so it was just a up and down year we really didn't know which direction we wanted to go in and then unfortunately week three I got hurt um which which gave the reins over to Robbie and he you know finished the season because I wanted to red shirt but um a lot of ups and downs and a lot of learning lessons and things like that and that um in that season which um I think everybody has learned from and grown from especially even the guys that went on to declare for this draft I think they uh took a line away from that year and uh you know it can use that going forward take me back through the back stretch of the Season though um harson is fired and Cadillac takes over and man did you guys respond I mean just you just saw a more invigorated team y'all got back to the ground and pound it looked like tank Bixby and jar Quest Hunter were more productive in the Run game what happened I mean was that kind of a rally around the circumstance where everybody just said look we got to go out there we got to play our best here yeah I I think you can you can visually see that that's Auburn football that that's when Auburn is at its best when it when when they rally around the head coach um and when everybody is together Auburn you're not just playing the 11 on the field you're playing the whole city of Auburn and every Auburn fan there is in the world um when you come to um to our Stadium but you know like I said that that's who Auburn is that's the type of football Auburn plays um is very passionate in hard-nosed football and and I think you see that once you know when the fans are are into the games and and Coach Cadillac did a great job of his media and his pre his his presence um you know everywhere he went um it was all about the players and all about Auburn football so um I think that's important and and when you have the city of Auburn and I've your Auburn fan you know behind you and ready to fight for you like I said you're not just playing the 11 on the field you're you're battling everybody as an opposing team continue our conversation with T.J Finley Auburn quarterback all right TJ Sue you've gone through the spring this is going to be your fourth year of college football um take me where you're at now because you have a new coach that's come in and obviously you freeze you know and Philip Montgomery it's it's a new staff in town we've still got Robbie Ashford Holden Garner is in and you know there was some talk maybe they might look to the transfer portal nobody came in in the spring where are you right now are you in a spot where you're at Auburn and you're set to stay are you going to explore because we know the transfer portal you know is open again where are you kind of mentally with your game and is is this a spot where you look at and say look I'm I'm at Auburn I'm staying here I'm going to battle for this job yeah um it's a lot of things you know up in the air right now uh especially with me graduating in June I'll be able to you know if I if I wanted to I'll be able to graduate um and transfer as a grad transfer um but you know my heart is in Auburn I want to be in Auburn um and like I told Coach freeze we had our exit meetings I think we had exit meetings with uh the coaches had exit meetings with each and every player just to see um you know what they what were they thinking and I think that's important as a team and as a coach you you want to know what players are thinking and what are they going to do um you don't like players just jumping up and and entering the portal without saying anything and things of that nature so it's always good and I think our coaches have done a great job of communicating with players and actually you know talking to them and actually um getting some players to stay where you know when they wanted to leave so um I think that's important and right now you know every like I said everything's up in the air um I don't know where you know what he wants to do specifically um that's as far as competing you know I I know who I you know how good I am and I know who I am as a person competition is not the problem to me I I if I lose in a competition it's strictly because I didn't give him all or or that's just not the right fit for me um you know so I I have no problem with competing um because I I believe competing brings the best out of each and everybody so you know I if I work to leave it wouldn't be because they were looking in the portal or anything it would just be simply I feel like another school has a better situation for me and my family so um you know like I say I'm here right now um you know and throughout conversations with Coach Montgomery and Coach freeze uh within the next couple weeks you know I'll see where I'm at in the next couple weeks but for right now I'm here working out with the team uh doing everything I can to to better and be a leader in the locker room and on the field as well so we'll see where that goes yeah the transfer portal is I mean it's it's benefited teams and coaching staffs and it's benefited players themselves and you know look it's ultimately gives you some freedom to say you know hey if I'm not going to start here I can start somewhere else and all that kind of stuff but let's talk a little bit about what you guys do have at Auburn because I think we did see some pieces in that spring game um first off in the backfield man you guys look pretty damn strong we saw how good your quest Hunter could be down the stretch of last season you say goodbye to uh to tank Bixby but man you guys got some dogs on there so Brian but t comes in to Mari Alston I mean looks like y'all got some pretty good pieces in that backfield talk about what you've seen from the Run game yeah those guys are amazing and it all reflects the work they put in in the weight room especially with Coach Dom uh he pushes us to the Max uh we have 6 a.m runs and the running backs are always in the front of every drill and things like that they're they're all just a competitive group and they all push each other to get better um be batty coming in from USF um he's a veteran guy so he knows what it takes to to get a team um and to win and things like that he's been a great addition to that room especially for maturity um jacquez Hunter um we all know who he is we all know what he can do another guy that's coming along very very well Demario Austin um he's the guy that he doesn't act his age you know and uh he he's one of my closest friends and simply because he's so mature um in the way he go about everything that he does and you know whether it's football whether it's class whether it's handling his business outside of uh football and things like that he's such a mature guy um and he's coming along very very well and then I think we have a freshman coming in I'm not sure of his name but a very um hiral crew coming in uh this summer so that room that room is going to be special for for years to come um and I can't wait to see what what they do uh this season yeah it's gonna be uh it's gonna be fun to see what that what they do at receiver and and uh or at running back but I wanted to transition to receiver real quick because looks like you guys got a pretty good group there with Nick Marner come in and first off I mean it's got to be weird to have a wide receiver is almost as tall as you now on the roster but uh you know I think Coy Moore obviously showed some signs last year to various Johnson uh it sucks that the playing conditions were what they were in the spring game because man I really thought that would have been a great chance to Showcase your talents and the receivers and all that but talk about how you you've kind of clicked with these receivers throughout the spring yeah those guys have especially come along well um with the new receiver codes we got um he actually played here a couple years ago which always helps um Auburn alumni coming back because that's always a benefit to the coaching staff that that's here um those guys are are are amazing you know like I said everybody works hard in the weight room everybody works hard um outside of football practice and and the extra reps and the extra girls that we do outside of practice really showed uh in Spring ball and so um those guys you know they they're clicking as a group uh it kind of hurt to see Camden go down with the ankle injury and not really be able to go full spring um but I he's another addition to that to that group that's going to be great next year um you know Jay fair has come along well as you said javares Johnson he should have a big year this year um and you know we expect big things out of Nick and I think he knows that um and he's also coming along well so if sucks to see um we call them chick but Tavares Dawson it sucks to see him enter the portal um I wish the best for him and he brought a lot to the table so whoever gets him they're getting a special player um if he can keep his head on straight so um that room has clicked very well and we're gonna need them uh this season especially I felt frustrated for you watching that spring game because I think what the first or second pass you through you hit a guy in the hands and it was just man the rain and the cold and all that was just miserable out there so um right you know it just had to be frustrating that there were some younger guys there that caught our eyes from the the early enrollees to the the transfers the guys who come in um talk about what you've seen particularly on the defense some of those new guys because man keldrick Falk looks like that guy's gonna be a a starter in the SEC here real soon but what did you see from some of the new transfers and and early enrollees yeah um let's go to the offensive line first we got you know the transfer from Western Kentucky um his name is is flipping my mind right now because I'm thinking of so many guys um talking uh Gunner Britton yes Gunner Gunner is amazing um he he he brings the veteran leadership to that group um you know our Center is amazing our left tackle that we got from Tulsa they're they're all clicking and coming along well then on the defensive side of the ball as you said keldrick fault um he looks good and he's making plays every practice um Austin keys from Ole Miss um he's making plays in practice Wesley Steiner has has stepped it up a lot I know he's been here for for two or three years now but he stepped up um and then secondary wise you know we still have the same secondary from last year um all those guys decided to stay and play one more year and that that's probably one of the reasons why as an offense we didn't look as good as we wanted to because we're going against one of the best secondaries in in the in the country in my opinion so um you know those guys those guys are always competing and doing well in it and it's all love whether it you know whether the defense has a good day or the offense has a good day um you know we always compete and show love to each other after practice so it's always good to get better against those guys and and those guys are um doing well and hopefully we can keep it going I as I look at to the schedule for for next year it's it's an interesting one I mean you guys you you get the iron bully get Bama back at home you get Georgia at home so two of your toughest toughest opponents have to come to Auburn but uh you know some fun road trips as well week two you guys go to Cal uh you go to a m you get to go back home to LSU at Vandy at Arkansas what do you make of just kind of looking at the schedule and how it shapes up yeah it's a very good schedule I think uh it gives us a good ballot to test us early to see if we can win on the road especially when we go to cal um you know it'll be different conditions a different time zone and things like that so that'll be that'll be a fun trip I think we're planning to leave at least two days early just to get accustomed to the weather and how time works and things like that um and then as you said we got a couple of big games at home this year Alabama Georgia um we get to go to Texas A M which is always fun their stadium is always loud and rocking we already know what Death Valley brings or at LSU so um it'll be it'll be a good test for this for us this year to see where we are uh mentally early um and hopefully we're in a good spot I think coach freeze and Coach Montgomery will do a great job with the offense getting us ready to play um and Coach Ryan Rogers will do a great job with the defense again that's where getting them ready to play so uh it should be fun well I love that you got a couple of uh I went to Archbishop Rummel so you got Donovan Kaufman and Coleman more there on your team now so you got a couple robots in there hold it down for South Louisiana I saw so my aunt lives in Ponchatoula where you're from uh the Strawberry Fest was this past weekend right did you did you get over there at all yes I'm I'm actually in Louisiana now uh my fiance to the Strawberry Festival yesterday we we split a a farmer Craig and then as soon as we got done eating it we ran a mile and a half just to run it off so it's always fun to come home man uh you know so so many people uh show support um and so many people know my face it's just always good to come home and getting that welcoming um feeling from people you love so um you know it's always fun to be here and the Strawberry Festival is just a cherry on top man it's just a lot of people out a lot of people fellowshipping and things of that nature so um period I said hey and I pray to you enjoyed the uh the Strawberry Festival yeah that fair food is no joke man you uh you gotta you gotta pack you gotta if you're picking a pack on the calories you got to work them off afterwards that's not a bad idea there uh he is TJ Finley Auburn quarterback TJ uh really appreciate the time man thanks so much for joining us for a guy who's I saw you play you know your high school ball Ponchatoula and follow your LSU now follow you at Auburn look every everybody's got their own path and their own Journey ups and downs and man I know uh I know something special is coming for you down the pike so uh best of luck to you this season whatever your plans are and we'll catch up with you again real soon all right sounds good thank you I appreciate it have a good one all right thanks TJ that's uh TJ Finley their Auburn quarterback and uh appreciate him taking some time with us this week and as you heard him you know decision may come transfer portal afford you that opportunity is going to be graduating this summer so if he sees there's a better spot elsewhere if he's going to stick it out and battle with Robbie Ashford he thinks he has a chance to beat him out whatever we wish him the best of luck and uh again a guy who's really tried his his put in his heart and soul and uh at Auburn and uh I don't know if you're an Auburn fan I think you gotta root for a guy like that who's stuck it out this whole way and uh gone through trials and tribulations and still there battling so uh that's going to do it for this edition of lockdown SEC thank you guys so much for making us your first listen every day shout out to our everydayers who are subscribing and catching the podcast every day wherever you find your podcast covering your team every day in the SEC I'm Chris Gordy we'll talk to you guys tomorrow right here on locked on sec