Penn State Nittany Lions' star cornerback, A.J. Harris, is reportedly planning on entering the transfer portal.
After an abysmal 2025 college football campaign for the Penn State Nittany Lions, the program has quickly undergone loads of changes following the conclusion of the regular season.
The Nittany Lions’ first move this offseason was to hire Iowa State’s Matt Campbell to become the next head coach. The move gave clarity to the Penn State fanbase, but with Campbell now at the helm, the struggling Big Ten Conference program suffered multiple losses within the transfer portal.
Unfortunately for fans, this continued into this week, as another starter from the 2025 season reportedly plans on entering the portal.
According to On3Sports’ Pete Nakos, Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris plans on entering the transfer portal this offseason.
Harris, who was a former five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, originally signed with the Georgia Bulldogs out of high school and spent one season under head coach Kirby Smart. Shortly after his freshman year, the highly-regarded cornerback entered the transfer portal and found a new home in State College.
During his 2024 season with the Nittany Lions, Harris quickly became a key playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for Penn State, racking up 48 tackles, five pass deflections, four tackles for losses, and one interception in 16 games.
His incredible sophomore campaign caught the attention of many NFL scouts, putting him on the radar for the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, Harris was unable to continue his dominant stretch from the previous season as a junior. In 11 games this season, the experienced defensive back had a sharp decline in production, finishing with just 33 tackles and one pass deflection.
While many believed he would potentially return to Penn State for his senior year to boost his draft stock, Harris made it clear on Monday afternoon that he intends to stay at the college level, but rather elsewhere.
With Harris entering the transfer portal, this becomes another significant loss for Campbell. Harris, along with EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant, are the top names that will not be with the program in 2026, with both players entering the 2026 NFL Draft.