A former Georgia Bulldog transfer will be looking to win a national championship with a new team. Former Georgia and Penn State Nittany Lions defensive back A.J. Harris transferred to the Indiana Hoosiers, according to Pete Thamel. He will be spending his last year of eligibility with a national championship contender.
Harris was one of the most highly-touted defensive backs in the class of 2023, committing to Georgia as the No. 2 defensive back and no. 27 prospect in the nation. He earned a five-star ranking as a recruit. At Georgia, he played in just seven games, recording eight tackles. On Dec. 15, 2023, he made the decision to transfer.
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His first destination was with the Penn State Nittany Lions, committing to them on Jan. 11, 2024. In his first year with the Nittany Lions, he finally started to show glimpses of his potential, with 48 tackles, four TFLs, five pass breakups, and an interception. He was selected to the 2024 All-Big Ten third team. The expectation was that he’d break out into an All-American player in 2025.
That didn’t work out. Harris had just 33 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection in 2025. He missed a game due to an unknown ailment and was benched during Penn State’s loss to Northwestern. Still, he was named to the All Big-Ten team as an honorable mention and should be an important cog in the Hoosiers’ machine.
247Sports ranks Harris as the No. 110 overall transfer and the No. 7 cornerback.
Indiana has been crushing it in the transfer portal, with the No. 10 transfer class in the nation. They’ve landed four four-stars from the portal: TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsamni, and now Harris.
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Harris elected to transfer and return to school over entering the 2026 NFL draft. Harris was expected to be a mid- or late-round draft pick. Now, he’ll have a chance to boost his draft stock.
Georgia has just the No. 29 transfer class in the nation. They’ve done well recruiting secondary help, earning commits from Oklahoma cornerback Gentry Williams, Eastern Carolina safety Ja’Marley Riddle, USC cornerback Brayden Conley, and Clemson safety Khalil Barnes. However, the wide receiver room and offensive line could be losing several key players, and the pass rush was arguably Georgia’s biggest weakness last year.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Former Georgia 5-star DB transfers to Big Ten powerhouse
