TJ Finley in the Transfer Portal | Justin Hokanson Talks Auburn QBs on The Next Round

Intro let's talk a little Auburn sports with our man Justin Hokinson Auburn live on three Sports yeah and Hope just tweeted uh subscribe to the new on 3 Sports Roundtable YouTube channel um we uh familiar name yeah historically we've had to be careful over the last year how we used that word hope uh but thank you Roundtable YouTube channel a lot of interesting and insightful interviews with various team sites will happen there hoax says so you could do that uh on YouTube where you subscribe to us give them all a thumbs up when you do it give them all thumbs up hope what's happening man how are you I'm good guys how you doing doing awesome hey if you ever leave on three Sports and go to another company you could be the next round of recruiting news of recruiting news for us write that down no it's an idea of a notepad um well I mean let's start with TJ Finley that's no offense to anyone coming in but this is a story that has been percolating for quite a while and nobody is surprised uh that TJ Finley has punched out as a graduate transfer it was just uh it was never it never TJ Finley worked it just never worked for him at Auburn yeah yeah I mean it it didn't I mean I think that he was brought in initially um you know just because they needed some competition and he was there and he's a guy that was you know in the SEC and he had a big body and a big frame and he thought there's potential there um and so and so you bring him in to compete um and it never really uh it never really panned out obviously um you know he didn't he played a little bit back up against Beau and then last year you know won those first two games and then um they got blown out and against Penn State he got hurt never got back in actually he got back in the game at Ole Miss for one possession and he fumbled and that was it uh and then the last four games he he didn't even travel with the team he wasn't even a part of the team so um yeah no no real surprise we heard a little bit about him possibly transferring after the season in the winter I think that the coaching staff probably said hey you know you're so close to graduating stick around be a body in this compete in the spring whatever graduate and so barring just some unbelievable spring where he would have gone out and killed it and won the job which nobody expected um he was gonna he was going to graduate and he was going to move on um so we'll see where he goes maybe back maybe back to Louisiana back home he's engaged his fiancee is from Louisiana so it kind of makes sense maybe to go back and have one more year there but um yeah no surprise there with with TJ Finley leaving uh speculation has always been Robbie Ashford or grad transfer quarterback nobody's talking about Holden gerner though what are the Holden Garner chances that gerner could end up being the guy I mean you know he he probably he should be talked about um I mean he he came on the last two weeks of spring played well and and I think that you know if they were to start a game tomorrow I don't know which way they'd go um I think there's more of a debate there than than maybe people are are willing to to have I do think of a transfer portal I've always said if a portal quarterback comes in he's the now the odds on favorite to start he's got to be and then can those other guys beat him out if for some reason a portal quarterback isn't landed which I continue to just think that would be a very surprising thing um then yeah I think it's absolutely a battle and Holden Garner is absolutely in the discussion to start game one if a transfer quarterback isn't landed if a transfer portal quarterbacks landed then you just have to assume based on going and getting him um probably going to have more experience than the other two guys you have to make him the odds on favorite but gerner's in the mix 100 I mean I think Ashford brings something unique we all know his his ability to run and that's exciting and it takes you back to Nick Marshall days or you think about Malik Willis at Liberty and and I get it um but hold nothing came on those last two weeks and if he has a really good summer he'll compete in the fall he'll be there competing in the fall there's no question listen I eventually I get to Hugh Freeze the ability to read coaches pretty good I can tell when they're um a lot of times I can tell when they're lying or covering something up but really I can tell when they're nervous about something I don't know Hugh freeze enough yet you see him a lot more than I do does he seem anxious about quarterback desperate panicked give me a feel on where Hugh freeze is with his quarterback says you see him a lot more than I do um yeah that's it's funny I I it's been interesting to watch him in the spring and he's just been so transparent that at times you're like um I mean he'll come out and praise him but he'll come out and criticize them I think that I really think that what he said has been pretty honest which is they have some they have some good moments they have some good moments there's some good attributes they've had good attitudes for the most part to learn but but you know there's deficiencies there there's limitations whether it's Talent at the moment whether it's experience at the moment just overall development of where those guys are and there's no question that he thinks another quarterback coming in um will will be the better option I mean I think privately he's probably been a lot more concerned about the position than publicly um I think he's very well aware that if he wants to legitimately compete next year have a chance to beat you know have a chance to even be in the game against Bama Georgia LSU those teams in computer against those teams and try to pull off an upset and quarterback's got to be a different guy most most likely so I don't think he's desperate or anything I mean I do kind of respect how he's gone about looking for a portal quarterback I don't think he's he hadn't tried to bring in and offer every guy that hit the portal um he's definitely gone after a few he's hoped a few that that didn't enter wood they didn't enter the portal yeah you keep your eye on some guys but I don't think he's been totally desperate in that regard to try to just get anybody in there I've always said I think it needs to be the right guy both talent wise and culture-wise so I would say he knows he needs a quarterback in there to compete not just for this year but if you could find a guy that's got two years I I think it sets you up really well for next year if if that guy's the guy then you bring Walker white in next year there's not pressure on him if gerner were to leave there's not as much pressure on that because you've got a portal quarterback coming back so I don't think there's desperation but I think there's there's definitely uh hey I need to get a guy in here if we want to maybe accomplish some things that that we want to accomplish I'm not sure we can get there with the guys we have Justin Hokinson whether it's at underscore Jay hokitson on Twitter part of on3sports auburnlive.com he's on the johnstonrvcenter.com hotline uh educated guest reporter however you want to couch this I don't care I'm just asking the question has there been in your opinion or do you know a portal quarterback visit Auburn or do you think there is one scheduled to in the near future well I think all eyes are on Casey Thompson and Peyton Thorne um at the moment um I think all eyes are on those two on those two on those two guys and we'll see what we'll see what transpires from from those two Peyton Thorne has got a couple years of Eligibility Casey Thompson's got one Thompson's probably more athletic Peyton Thorne has got a some pretty good upset upside I think Scott had some interest from some schools um and you know besides Auburn so those are the two that were that were watching at the moment you know Thompson visited last weekend um and he came away we don't really know exactly how that visit went but nothing's happened at the moment so either Casey Thompson wants to go check out other schools and see what's out there or he loved Auburn and Auburn said well let's just you know we were kind of checking a few guys out and maybe they want to take a harder look at Peyton Thorne before taking any any commitments but those are the two guys we're watching at the moment uh Dunaway when he brought you in was talking about you know one of the portal editions was out of the Appalachian State and that's Jalen McLeod he's an edge rusher what do you know about McLeod McLeod yeah I mean he's six one two thirty five two forty he he he's a little bit like Jeff Holland um was in 2017. I think Jeff Holland was probably a little bit taller in 6-1 but kind of that undersized defensive end Edge outside linebacker type player that can really rush the passer um which was just a massive deed outside of quarterback finding somebody at that position for Auburn was was maybe the second most important thing they could do in this portal because Derek Hall's gone uh Eco leota's gone and you do you just really didn't have anybody there right now to get after the quarterback truly get after the quarterback this guy fits that bill a little under size so he's not a true defensive end but he's that he's that outside linebacker Edge guy that you can send off the edge especially in passing situations and uh and create Havoc hopefully if you're Auburn and you're Ron Roberts and you're trying to create create um you know plays in the backfield and wreak havoc disco fits that bill really well built um hard-working player and he just fits a need he got to be able to pressure the quarterback at times and he can do that and again I I go back to Jeff Holland in 2017 who was fantastic That season I'm not saying this guy is going to be that but he's that type of player that's just going to come off the edge and I think will really really help the defense try to accomplish what they want to accomplish um this guy's gonna end up being a big part of it playing in a very physical League coming out of the Sun Belt there Julio Jones I wanted to ask you um in in Nick Saban's uh year initial year at Alabama who Julio Jones was a big recruit that first recruiting cycle that sort of jump started some things Mark Ingram that whole class is there one player that Auburn's already got or you think's on the horizon that could be that Julio Jones type player for you for freezes first class not I mean if not that's a great story idea for you in the future as you work work over the next 122 days well think about Julio and and obviously the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that he was in state um not just that he was extremely talented but he was an in-state player and so for Nick Saban to come in and make that impact in the state of Alabama was huge because you think about Walker white who's committed to Auburn and um but he's a kid that's from out of state so while that's a huge commit and Walkers recruiting and he he's the linchpin of this recruiting first recruiting class and he could end up being that guy that you remember for years to come as that first few freeze recruit that helped launch um you know whatever he freeze wants to do at Auburn he's not in state so you'd probably have to look at ins some some kind of in-state player but Julio was such a uh like a legend I mean he was just he was just the guy I don't know if there's a Julio type player in the class but you think about somebody like cam Coleman at Phoenix City who is an extremely talented wide receiver pretty much coveted by everybody in the country and we you know Auburn hasn't had a ton of success at both Auburn High School and Central Phoenix city um over the years Landing the elite players that have come out of there and so somebody like cam Coleman could be that guy in state close to Auburn massive recruiting battle um and at that receiver position that you look back and if you can land him maybe that's that guy that you that you that you could point to and say he kind of helped start it as far as making inroads in state and winning battles in state all right he has Justin hookerton who'll have all of that covered for you at Auburn live part of all three Sports at underscore Jay Hokinson on Twitter hope thank you for the time man have a great week all right see you guys all right buddy take care Justin with us on the Johnston rvcenter.com hotline [Music]