Penn State found a steal in the transfer portal last year.
A.J. Harris played sparingly at Georgia during his freshman season, making eight tackles in seven games.
He transferred to Penn State for his sophomore campaign and instantly became an important part of the secondary.
Harris earned All-Big Ten third team honors after starting 15 of PSU’s 16 games and reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Entering 2025, Harris has been named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List honoring the Best Defensive Player in College Football.
Earlier this week, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus named Harris as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Sikkema is projecting Harris to have a significant junior year for a Nittany Lions team with national title aspirations.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Harris closed 2024 with 48 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception, and five pass breakups.
Harris grabbed his first pick against Illinois and made four stops. He made a career-high seven tackles against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Only three Big Ten players cracked Sikkema’s list. Following Harris are two players in the bottom five of the rankings in Indiana’s De’Angelo Ponds (No. 8) and Washington cornerback Tacario Davis (No. 10). Georgia corner Daylen Everette of Georgia, Harris’ former program, ranked No. 7.
Penn State begins the 2025 season on August 30 hosting Nevada. Harris has the talent to be a lockdown corner for the Nittany Lions and become a first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
