Sources tell me that NC State transfer QB, Ben Finley, is heading to Cal. Announcement coming soon @bfin_5 🚨 pic.twitter.com/tni9dCTRxj

— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) April 26, 2023

Quarterback Ben Finley is leaving N.C. State, but will always be remembered for one game and a big Wolfpack victory. Finley will enter the NCAA transfer portal, it was learned Tuesday. The decision comes three days after the Wolfpack played its spring game on a soggy day at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Finley, who has three years of college eligibility remaining, would have entered fall camp as the No. 3 quarterback for the Pack. Brennan Armstrong, a graduate transfer from Virginia, and sophomore MJ Morris are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Finley, the younger brother of former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley, began the 2022 season as the scout team QB. Devin Leary was the Pack's returning starter, backed up by Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer into the program.

After Leary was lost of the season with a pectoral injury and Chambers proved to be ineffective, Morris took over as the starter. But an injury to Morris allowed Finley to make the improbable leap from scout-team QB to QB1 against North Carolina in the final regular-season game. In his first career start, Finley passed for 271 yards and two scores as the Pack won a 30-27 double-overtime thriller in Chapel Hill.

After the game, Finley was among a handful of players who gleefully paraded about the Kenan Stadium field with a large N.C. State flag. Finley later called it the "greatest feeling ever," and added, "To be able to persevere in the biggest thing in life."

With Morris unable to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl game in Charlotte on Dec. 30, Finley again started against Maryland. The Pack was unable to score a touchdown against the Terrapins in a 16-12 loss at Bank of America Stadium Finley was 22-of-48 passing for 269 yards and two interceptions. "I obviously didn't do what it took to win that game," a dejected Finley said after the loss, now his final N.C. State game.

Finley committed to NCSU in December 2019. Playing at Paradise Valley High in Phoenix, Arizona, he passed for more than 8,000 yards, was a 3-star recruit and had offers from Arizona State and Arizona.


(Source: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article274201890.html)

Have mods confirmed this yet ?

Hmmm, he looks like Jack Plummer in those vids! I will take having someone who has won a big game and can throw accurately as our back up.

Curious about his size, speed and running ability? But Davis Webb was not a big runner when he played for Spav.

Seems like an odd choice for Spav's offense.

I guess no JM then.

bluehenbear said:

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I guess no JM then.

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who knows but probably a good guess

dimitrig said:

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Quarterback Ben Finley is leaving N.C. State, but will always be remembered for one game and a big Wolfpack victory. Finley will enter the NCAA transfer portal, it was learned Tuesday. The decision comes three days after the Wolfpack played its spring game on a soggy day at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Finley, who has three years of college eligibility remaining, would have entered fall camp as the No. 3 quarterback for the Pack. Brennan Armstrong, a graduate transfer from Virginia, and sophomore MJ Morris are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Finley, the younger brother of former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley, began the 2022 season as the scout team QB. Devin Leary was the Pack's returning starter, backed up by Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer into the program.

After Leary was lost of the season with a pectoral injury and Chambers proved to be ineffective, Morris took over as the starter. But an injury to Morris allowed Finley to make the improbable leap from scout-team QB to QB1 against North Carolina in the final regular-season game. In his first career start, Finley passed for 271 yards and two scores as the Pack won a 30-27 double-overtime thriller in Chapel Hill.

After the game, Finley was among a handful of players who gleefully paraded about the Kenan Stadium field with a large N.C. State flag. Finley later called it the "greatest feeling ever," and added, "To be able to persevere in the biggest thing in life."

With Morris unable to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl game in Charlotte on Dec. 30, Finley again started against Maryland. The Pack was unable to score a touchdown against the Terrapins in a 16-12 loss at Bank of America Stadium Finley was 22-of-48 passing for 269 yards and two interceptions. "I obviously didn't do what it took to win that game," a dejected Finley said after the loss, now his final N.C. State game.

Finley committed to NCSU in December 2019. Playing at Paradise Valley High in Phoenix, Arizona, he passed for more than 8,000 yards, was a 3-star recruit and had offers from Arizona State and Arizona.


(Source: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article274201890.html)

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I clicked on this link and then did a search for Finley and then sorted by newest first and could not find a single reference to Finley transferring, let alone coming to Cal. I realize that other sources are relevant to this story but this source was a dead end for me.

NVBear78 said:

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Hmmm, he looks like Jack Plummer in those vids! I will take having someone who has won a big game and can throw accurately as our back up.

Curious about his size, speed and running ability? But Davis Webb was not a big runner when he played for Spav.

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Very similar transfer rating.
Plummer was .8700
Finley .8656

24/7 has him listed in the transfer portal so he's definitely available for transfer but I haven't seen any other confirmation (crystal ball picks, other news sources, or social media) that he's on his way to Cal. Doesn't mean it's not true as someone always breaks the news first, but as of now I haven't seen it corroborated elsewhere

heartofthebear said:

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dimitrig said:

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Quarterback Ben Finley is leaving N.C. State, but will always be remembered for one game and a big Wolfpack victory. Finley will enter the NCAA transfer portal, it was learned Tuesday. The decision comes three days after the Wolfpack played its spring game on a soggy day at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Finley, who has three years of college eligibility remaining, would have entered fall camp as the No. 3 quarterback for the Pack. Brennan Armstrong, a graduate transfer from Virginia, and sophomore MJ Morris are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Finley, the younger brother of former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley, began the 2022 season as the scout team QB. Devin Leary was the Pack's returning starter, backed up by Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer into the program.

After Leary was lost of the season with a pectoral injury and Chambers proved to be ineffective, Morris took over as the starter. But an injury to Morris allowed Finley to make the improbable leap from scout-team QB to QB1 against North Carolina in the final regular-season game. In his first career start, Finley passed for 271 yards and two scores as the Pack won a 30-27 double-overtime thriller in Chapel Hill.

After the game, Finley was among a handful of players who gleefully paraded about the Kenan Stadium field with a large N.C. State flag. Finley later called it the "greatest feeling ever," and added, "To be able to persevere in the biggest thing in life."

With Morris unable to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl game in Charlotte on Dec. 30, Finley again started against Maryland. The Pack was unable to score a touchdown against the Terrapins in a 16-12 loss at Bank of America Stadium Finley was 22-of-48 passing for 269 yards and two interceptions. "I obviously didn't do what it took to win that game," a dejected Finley said after the loss, now his final N.C. State game.

Finley committed to NCSU in December 2019. Playing at Paradise Valley High in Phoenix, Arizona, he passed for more than 8,000 yards, was a 3-star recruit and had offers from Arizona State and Arizona.


(Source: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article274201890.html)

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I clicked on this link and then did a search for Finley and then sorted by newest first and could not find a single reference to Finley transferring, let alone coming to Cal. I realize that other sources are relevant to this story but this source was a dead end for me.

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The title of the article is:

"NC State quarterback Ben Finley in NCAA transfer portal"

Here is another article from SI:

NC State quarterback Ben Finley enters college football transfer portal

dimitrig said:

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heartofthebear said:

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dimitrig said:

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Quarterback Ben Finley is leaving N.C. State, but will always be remembered for one game and a big Wolfpack victory. Finley will enter the NCAA transfer portal, it was learned Tuesday. The decision comes three days after the Wolfpack played its spring game on a soggy day at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Finley, who has three years of college eligibility remaining, would have entered fall camp as the No. 3 quarterback for the Pack. Brennan Armstrong, a graduate transfer from Virginia, and sophomore MJ Morris are expected to compete for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Finley, the younger brother of former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley, began the 2022 season as the scout team QB. Devin Leary was the Pack's returning starter, backed up by Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer into the program.

After Leary was lost of the season with a pectoral injury and Chambers proved to be ineffective, Morris took over as the starter. But an injury to Morris allowed Finley to make the improbable leap from scout-team QB to QB1 against North Carolina in the final regular-season game. In his first career start, Finley passed for 271 yards and two scores as the Pack won a 30-27 double-overtime thriller in Chapel Hill.

After the game, Finley was among a handful of players who gleefully paraded about the Kenan Stadium field with a large N.C. State flag. Finley later called it the "greatest feeling ever," and added, "To be able to persevere in the biggest thing in life."

With Morris unable to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl game in Charlotte on Dec. 30, Finley again started against Maryland. The Pack was unable to score a touchdown against the Terrapins in a 16-12 loss at Bank of America Stadium Finley was 22-of-48 passing for 269 yards and two interceptions. "I obviously didn't do what it took to win that game," a dejected Finley said after the loss, now his final N.C. State game.

Finley committed to NCSU in December 2019. Playing at Paradise Valley High in Phoenix, Arizona, he passed for more than 8,000 yards, was a 3-star recruit and had offers from Arizona State and Arizona.


(Source: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article274201890.html)

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I clicked on this link and then did a search for Finley and then sorted by newest first and could not find a single reference to Finley transferring, let alone coming to Cal. I realize that other sources are relevant to this story but this source was a dead end for me.

---

The title of the article is:

"NC State quarterback Ben Finley in NCAA transfer portal"

Here is another article from SI:

NC State quarterback Ben Finley enters college football transfer portal

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To be clear, I was able to finally find info. that he is in the portal but, other than the tweet copied above in this thread, I have found no connection to Cal listed anywhere. I do hope it is true. I think having 3 competent QBs strengthens the team tremendously. If one gets hurt, you still have a starter and a backup. I would not be surprised to see Jake use Jackson in specific packages and rotate in someone else as well.

If true then we are DOMINATING the 3rd-string QB space with this portal. Nobody can touch us.

And it's a smart m, strategy.

https://www.si.com/college/cal/.amp/news/ben-finley

southseasbear said:

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https://www.si.com/college/cal/.amp/news/ben-finley

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"A grad transfer with three years of eligibility."

That must be pretty rare. COVID is part, but still rare.

Honestly, I was hoping for higher level fallout at UCLA. Seems like the portal is filled with similar QBs so seems to be a head scratcher to pull the trigger now, but must be something Spavital sees. I think the bottom line is we are all in with Jackson.

Go Bears🐻 @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/ln91DPthy1

— Ben Finley (@bfin_5) April 27, 2023

The kid already has a Kevin Riley story guiding his team to victory off the bench in the big game. I like it!

UrsineMaximus said:

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Seems like an odd choice for Spav's offense.

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Spav worked with Davis Webb who isn't exactly mobile. I think running is a plus, but the best skill in Spav's offense is a quick release esp. out to the flat, and then the occasional downfield deep ball.

Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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They won't unless they graduate because the portal will be closed.

UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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Can anyone opine on our current OL versus our 2016 OL?

calumnus said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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Can anyone opine on our current OL versus our 2016 OL?

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Regarding 2016, did we abandon the vertical set blocking scheme when Spav replaced TF? I know none of Dykes' teams were known for strong OLs. Was this about when Addison Ooms took over at center?

Ah, there's our source here: Goobear! What say ye?

I do seem to remember that Davis Webb, not the most mobile of QBs, had at least halfway decent time to throw, IIRC.

WalterSobchak said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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They won't unless they graduate because the portal will be closed.

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Clever of Kelly.

Rushinbear said:

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WalterSobchak said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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They won't unless they graduate because the portal will be closed.

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Clever of Kelly.

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Yup. Will be interesting to see if anyone has the balls to walk out of camp. I doubt it. The NCAA really should ban this, but they won't.

Big C said:

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calumnus said:

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UrsineMaximus said:

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Primary concern would be the OL. Currently Cal needs a qb that can roll out and throw on the run, if not just flat out run when they need to. Let's see if any qbs jump ship once fUCLA is done with their spring ball on May 5.

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Can anyone opine on our current OL versus our 2016 OL?

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Regarding 2016, did we abandon the vertical set blocking scheme when Spav replaced TF? I know none of Dykes' teams were known for strong OLs. Was this about when Addison Ooms took over at center?

Ah, there's our source here: Goobear! What say ye?

I do seem to remember that Davis Webb, not the most mobile of QBs, had at least halfway decent time to throw, IIRC.

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No, same blocking scheme, we were still Air Raid, same OL coach/run game coordinator, Sonny Dykes HC, we brought Webb in from Texas Tech where he played in it.

Remember when Leach and Dykes had the big statue Cumbie carve up our great 2004 defense standing flat footed behind an OL in vertical sets with wide splits?

I'm hoping we have a similarly effective line and Spavital has seen enough in Spring to give him confidence a QB like Findley can be effective behind it.