Finley grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, and attended Ponchatoula High School.[2] He passed for 2,736 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in his junior season.[3] As a senior, Finley passed for 2,738 yards and 21 touchdowns and also scored eight rushing touchdowns.[4] Finley was rated a three-star prospect and the best quarterback prospect in the state and committed to play college football at LSU as a sophomore in high school over offers from Oregon, Alabama, and Auburn.[5]
Finley enrolled at LSU a semester early in January 2020.[6][7] He was named the Tigers' starting quarterback leading up to team's October 24, 2020, game against South Carolina following an injury to starter Myles Brennan.[8] In his first career start, Finley completed 17 of 21 pass attempts for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.[9] Finley started five games and finished the season with 80-of-140 passes for 941 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.[10]
After competing with quarterbacks Myles Brennan and Max Johnson in spring practice, Finley announced he would be entering the transfer portal.[11]
On May 24, 2021, Finley announced that he would be transferring to Auburn over offers from Alabama, Penn State, and Houston.[12][13] On September 25, 2021, Finley would come in in the fourth quarter for a benched Bo Nix and throw the game winning touchdown versus Georgia State.[14] Finley was named Auburn's starting quarterback for the Tigers opening game of the 2022 season. On May 2, 2023, Finley announced his intention to transfer from the program.