Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley didn’t hide his feelings Tuesday during an interview on the Locked on SEC Podcast when a host asked Finley about the quarterback competition last season under former head coach Bryan Harsin and with new coach Hugh Freeze.

“Just from the competition standpoint, they brought in Zach Calzada, they brought in Robby Ashford, in my head, to me, that’s a slap in the face that you don’t believe in what you already have,” Finley said to podcast host Chris Gordy. “That they bring in two guys that are close to the same age as the guy you have that finished the season the previous year.”

After fall camp, Harsin named Finley the starting quarterback, and the Tigers started out 2-0. In retrospect, it appears Finley didn’t feel settled into the role. Having split time with Ashford, Finley insinuated opposing teams figured out when the team was more likely to run the ball based on the quarterback rotations.

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“He was kind of running the ball, and I was kind of throwing the ball,” Finley said. “Luckily, we played teams like Mercer and San Jose State, but by the time we got closer to Penn State and those teams, they had it figured out that when I was out of the game, we were going to run the ball and when I was in the game we were going to throw the ball.

“It was just an up-and-down year. We really didn’t know which direction we wanted to go in. Unfortunately for me, in week 3, I got hurt, and they turned the reins over to Robby, and he finished the season because I wanted to redshirt.”

Freeze hasn’t been shy in acknowledging that he’s open to signing a quarterback during the open transfer window that started on April 15 and ends on April 30, heading into fall camp. Finley is aware of the Freeze’s intentions and comments. Here’s how he responded on April 8 after the A-Day scrimmage at Jordan-Hare.

“I mean, it’s always — guys are always going to be critical, especially a head coach of his magnitude,” Finley said. “That just lets us know our areas of improvement, and he’s being brutally honest. I wouldn’t even call it brutally honest, but just being honest with everybody, and that’s the best way to be.”

After the spring game, Finley also declared his intentions to be Auburn’s starting quarterback.

“Hell yeah, most definitely,” Finley said. “If I didn’t want to be, I wouldn’t be here.”

Finley came to Auburn following his 2020 freshman season at LSU. He competed against incumbent starter Bo Bix, senior Grant Loy, and freshman Dematrius Davis. Finley started three games in 2021 after Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury. He won the quarterback competition last season, but a shoulder injury in a loss vs. Penn State kept Finley off the field until an appearance vs. Ole Miss in the next-to-last game of the Harsin tenure. The season ended for Finley he was took a mental health break from the team.

“I believe I can compete with anybody in the country, and that’s why I transferred here from LSU. I felt like I can compete with Bo Nix,” Finley said on April 8th. Competition doesn’t scare me. I know who I am. I know what I can do, and with the right coaches, I know who I can grow into, and hopefully, this is the place. Competition brings the best out of everybody, and if you can’t handle competition, you don’t need to be in this industry.”

Finley’s comments on Tuesday reflect a quarterback that’s open to staying at Auburn but might feel there’s places where he might fare better.

“If I were to leave, it would not be because of the portal or competition, it would be simply because another school has a better situation for me and my family,” Finley said on the podcast. “I graduate in June, if I wanted to, I could transfer as a grad transfer. “Right now, my heart is in Auburn, but everything really is up in the air right now.” I am here right now. We will see what happens with conversations with the coaches over the next couple of weeks.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.