Cal Transfer QB Ben Finley Reportedly Commits to Akron

A number of other media outlets reported that Finley has committed to Akron or has Finley on the Akron roster, including ESPN.

On his instagram account, Finley lists himself as a Zips football quarterback. Akron is knows as the Zips.

Akron struggled in 2023, finishing with a 2-10 record, including 1-7 in the East Division in the Mid-American Conference.  Akron will be the third school in three years for Finley, who played spent his first three years at North Carolina State before transferring to Cal for this past season.

Finley started two games at North Carolina State in 2022, and started two games at Cal in 2023. 

Finley started the second game of the 2023 season against Auburn and was 7-for-11 for 31 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.  He was replaced in the game by Sam Jackson V and Cal lost to Auburn 14-10.  Finley also started the fourth game of the season against Washington but was again replaced by Jackson in a game Cal lost 59-32.  Finley went 17-for-32 for 207 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in that game.

For the season, Finley completed 57.5% percent of his passes with three touchdown passes and four interceptions.

He entered the transfer portal soon after the Bears' final regular-season game but remained on the Cal roster for the Independence Bowl. Finley got into that game but did not throw any passes in the 34-14 loss to Texas Tech.

At Akron, Finley joins a team that needs help. The Zips have gone 2-10 each of the their two seasons under head coach Joe Moorhead. Jasaiah Gathings, their top receiver in 2023, has entered the transfer portal. Three quarterbacks received playing time for Akron in 2023 and they combined to throw 11 touchdown passes with 13 interceptions. Akron's starting quarterback in the final five games of the 2023 season was Jeff Undercuffler Jr., a graduate student who completed 64.3% of his passes with four touchdowns and seven interceptions.