Penn State has once again struck in the transfer portal. After officially adding former five-star wide receiver Julian Fleming on Wednesday and five-star offensive lineman Nolan Rucci on Saturday, the Nittany Lions have now added cornerback A.J. Harris. Happy Valley Insider reported earlier this week that the finishing touches on Harris officially becoming a Nittany Lion were being completed.
Harris was ranked as the 41st best prospect and fifth best cornerback in the 2023 recruiting cycle. In 8 games played with Georgia this season, the true freshman recorded 8 tackles for the Bulldogs.
In many ways the addition of Harris is similar to that of Johnny Dixon ahead of the 2021 season. Like Dixon, Harris comes to Penn State with three years of eligibility remaining which can lead to Harris being a multi-year contributor for the Nittany Lions the same way Dixon was.
Also like Dixon, Harris has ties to Penn State from his days as a high school recruit. The Nittany Lions offered Harris in high school, as they did Dixon, however, Penn State also has ties to his high school (Central High School, Phenix City, Alabama) through former Nittany Lion cornerback Christian Campbell and one time defensive end commit TJ Parker.
Harris should have an opportunity to compete for a starting spot in the fall. Cam Miller will start at one cornerback position, and King Mack may have the leg up to replace Daequan Hardy at nickel, but Harris should have a legitimate chance to start opposite Miller.
The 6-foor-1, 190 pound Harris brings good size to the cornerback position. In fact, with his size there were some rumblings of Georgia potentially looking to move him to safety, which may have been a factor in his decision to enter the transfer portal.
Adding Harris addresses Penn State's transfer portal need for a cornerback. They have already addressed kicker with the addition of Chase Meyer, as well as the aforementioned Fleming at wide receiver and Rcuci at offensive tackle Thus far, the Nittany Lion staff has done a good job addressing their needs via the transfer portal.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
