Joe Jon Finley

With the likes of Adrian Peterson, Malcolm Kelly and Sam Bradford grabbing headlines, it was easy for Joe Jon Finley to fly under the radar during his time with the Sooners. The two-year starter displayed naturally soft hands and the ability to come up with the clutch catch in traffic during his two years as a starter, giving Bradford a security blanket and solid red-zone target. Finley's brother, Matt, was a defensive back at Nebraska. Both of his brothers spent their high school days playing for their father, Mickey, who coached at Arlington High School. Joe Jon Finley was an all-around athlete at Arlington, competing in football and track. He started at quarterback as a junior and senior and at tight end as a sophomore, leading the team to a 12-2 record with district and bi-district championships for a second straight year as a senior. He was an All-District and All-Area tight end in 2000 and named an All-State utility player by Dave Campbell's Texas Football as a senior. The two-time All-District quarterback added District Offensive Most Valuable Player honors in 2002. He was rated the 24th-best quarterback in the country by Super Prep and the 32nd-best athlete in the nation by both The Sporting News and Rivals.com. He was also a hurdler on the track team, qualifying for the state meet in the 110-meter hurdles as a senior and in the discus during his last two years. Finley passed for 1,626 yards and rushed for 897 as a senior, completing 82-of-168 passes with 12 touchdowns in his final prep season. He also rushed for nine scores and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. As a junior, he passed for 1,200 yards and rushed for 900 more. Recruited as an athlete, the 210-pound Finley spent the 2003 season with the scout team at Oklahoma. The time spent in the weight room that year saw the talented youngster arrive at 2004 fall camp with a chiseled 245-pound frame. He spent that year playing behind James Moses at tight end. In limited action over 12 games, he snatched seven passes for 94 yards (13.4-yard average) and one touchdown. As a sophomore, Finley again caddied for Moses, starting vs. Tulsa and UCLA in a two-tight end formation. In 11 games, he had 13 catches for 150 yards (11.5-yard average) and a pair of touchdowns. He also made one solo tackle, as he excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big Twelve Conference honors. With Moses graduated, Finley took over tight end chores as a junior, starting all 14 games in 2006. The All-Big Twelve Conference honorable mention, snared 19 passes for 241 yards (12.7-yard average), finding the end zone three times. He recovered a fumble and posted an assisted tackle on special teams. Finley again garnered All-Big Twelve honorable mention as a senior. He amassed 290 yards with four touchdowns on 23 receptions (12.6-yard average). He also increased his workload on special teams, registering a pair of tackles and returning two kickoffs for 23 yards. In 51 games at Oklahoma, Finley earned 29 starting assignments. He hauled in 62 passes for 775 yards (12.5-yard average) and 10 touchdowns. He recorded four tackles (two solo) and recovered a fumble, adding two kickoff returns for 23 yards (11.5 avg).

positives

Has a big frame with room for additional growth...Shows large, soft hands and adequate arm length to extend for the ball outside his frame...Has an adequate initial burst, but can build his acceleration throughout the route (more of a one-cut runner)...Has the agility to steer and create movement as a cut blocker in space, but needs to show better hip flexibility when redirecting on in-line blocks...Has an aggressive nature seeking out second-level defenders and is not the type that will back down from a challenge...Has a good understanding of coverage, settling in nicely underneath...As a former quarterback, he realizes the importance of eyeballing the passer and working back when the pocket is pressured...Will compete for the ball in a crowd, but must maintain his focus better (looks to turn and run before securing the ball)...Shows functional movement agility working in space and plays with good urgency getting into his routes...Does a good job of jabbing and beating the press with a good hand punch coming off the snap and there are no false steps in his release...Knows how to convert routes vs. man and zone coverage and, while he was not featured, his routes tend to be crisp, showing decent explosion in and out of his cuts...Knows how to drop his pads and gather at the top of the route...Better when settling underneath than challenging the deep zone, but he has the ability to uncover due to his body control...Gives the quarterback a big target in the middle...No issues with ball security when catching in a crowd...Has the size and hand punch to box out in traffic and while he needs to improve his focus, he will fight until the whistle to get to the ball...Has some hip stiffness that causes him to have problems going for the low throws, but catches the ball in stride when the pass is directed at his numbers...More of a position blocker, but has a good concept for taking angles pursuing in the second level.

compares to

JOE KLOPFENSTEIN-St. Louis...Like Klopfenstein, Finley has the frame of an offensive lineman and the speed to line up wide as a receiver. He knows how to use his size and soft hands in traffic and is a mentally tough character who can dish it out as well as he can take it. His big frame has become very effective in allowing him to lock out the second-level defenders as a cut blocker. He needs to play up to his size to block in-line, but it is not lacking effort. He executes good head fakes to surprise a lethargic defender after the catch, but will lose focus and drop a few easy passes. There is nothing exceptional in his game, but with his special-teams ability, he could find a spot on a team's depth chart.

negatives

Has good timed speed for a player his size, but needs to show more explosive moves coming off the line of scrimmage, as he will get tall in his stance and narrow his base, causing him to struggle to open his hips in attempts to evade defenders moving into the second level...In a short area, he shows good aggression going for the ball, but will lose focus and drop a few easy passes when he hears the defender's footsteps...Must do a better job of using his reach to extend and pluck the ball outside his frame and might need to get his vision checked, as he seems surprised by the ball and doesn't track it well in flight...Has adequate strength to break tackles after the catch, but is more of a one-cut runner who lacks elusiveness in the open to win footraces...Has good size and hand placement, but must put his foot in the ground to anchor vs. the bull rush, as he does not use his weight-room strength effectively when blocking in-line, failing to generate a smooth kick slide due to some hip stiffness...Could do a better job of setting up the defender, as he tends to run right into contact when working into the second level...Decent cut blocker, but needs to sustain his hits longer...His tight hips are evident when he struggles to adjust to off-target throws.

No injuries reported.

Campus: 4.69 in the 40-yard dash

385-pound bench press

30 1/2-inch vertical jump

9'7" broad jump

4.69 20-yard shuttle

32 1/8-inch arm length

9 3/8-inch hands.

Attended Arlington (Tex.) High School, playing football for his father, head coach Mickey Finley

Started at quarterback as a junior and senior and at tight end as a sophomore, leading the team to a 12-2 record with district and bi-district championships for a second-straight year as a senior

All-District and All-Area tight end in 2000 and named an All-State utility player by Dave Campbell's Texas Football as a senior

The two-time All-District quarterback added District Offensive Most Valuable Player honors in 2002

Was rated the 24th-best quarterback in the country by Super Prep and the 32nd-best athlete in the nation by both The Sporting News and Rivals.com

Also a hurdler on the track team, qualifying for the state meet in the 110-meter hurdles as a senior and in the discus during his last two years

Passed for 1,626 yards and rushed for 897 as a senior, completing 82-of-168 passes with 12 touchdowns in his final prep season

Also rushed for nine scores and averaged 6.6 yards per carry

As a junior, he passed for 1,200 yards and rushed for 900 more.

Economics major, with a minor in Sociology, twice earning Academic All-Big Twelve Conference honors (2004-05)

Brother, Matt, played defensive back at Nebraska

Son of Patty and Mickey Finley

Father served as his head coach at Arlington High School

Born 1/30/85

Resides in Arlington, Texas.