What happened to NC State backup QB Ben Finley? Here's the answer
Once thought to be a option for NC State football as a starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Ben Finley was not included on the depth chart for Saturday's season opener against ECU.
Devin Leary was the obvious pick for the starting quarterback position while graduate transfer Jack Chambers was listed as the backup and freshman MJ Morris at third string.
So what happened to Finley?
During a conversation with the USA TODAY Network on Thursday, coach Dave Doeren confirmed that Finley was still with the team.
"He's running the scout team and doing a great job and has had a great attitude about it," Doeren said. "He'll travel with the team (to ECU). You know, that's just where we're at and who we have. Things can change."
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Finley, the younger brother of Ryan Finley, a three-year starter at N.C. State from 2016 to 2018, was a fan favorite after coming off the bench to replace Bailey Hockman against UNC in 2020.
At halftime against the Tar Heels, Finley was 9-of-12 for 128 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He came back to earth in the second half as UNC's defense adjusted to the freshman, limiting Finley to 15 yards passing on 4-of-8 completions.
He did not play the rest of the season.
"Sometimes guys get elevated quicker than maybe they should have in a program," Doeren said. "For us, the quarterback position has been an interesting thing because of injuries to Devin and then we had quarterbacks transfer out of the program that were not playing, so we had some voids in the roster."
Hockman and redshirt freshman Ty Evans transferred after the season and Finley was named the backup quarterback over freshman Aaron McLaughlin in 2021 behind Leary. McLaughlin entered the transfer portal in February and is now with Jacksonville (Ala.) State.
Finley played in three games last year, including a season-high 16 snaps during a win against Furman.
"Sometimes guys get thrust forward in a tough situation," Doeren said. "Not because they're ready, but because that is what you have. Ben still has a lot of opportunities here. It's just going to take him a little more time to develop."
The No. 13 Wolfpack open the 2022 season against East Carolina at 12 p.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Where is NC State football backup QB Ben Finley? Here's the answer
