A Penn State veteran will miss the Pinstripe Bowl as he heads to the Transfer Portal

Penn State hasn’t seen a massive exodus to the transfer portal since hiring Matt Campbell as James Franklin’s replacement, but the Nittany Lions have been dealt a few major blows. The latest is junior defensive back A.J. Harris, who spent two years at Penn State after playing his freshman season at Georgia in 2023. 

Harris entered the season projected as a potential 2026 first-round NFL Draft pick, but, like the rest of the Penn State program, he failed to live up to expectations. Harris finished with 33 total tackles in 2025 and 1 pass breakup across 493 defensive snaps at cornerback. 

At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Harris was a lockdown cornerback in 2024, his true sophomore season, stepping into the CB1 role for the Nittany Lions throughout their run to the College Football Playoff semifinal. Even after a down year as a junior, Harris, with one year of eligibility remaining, will be a hot commodity in the transfer portal when it opens on January 2. 

AJ Harris set to enter the transfer portal, leaving the Penn State program

Rather than staying around for the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Harris is departing the program. Now, the Nittany Lions will be without both Harris and cornerback Elliot Washington II, who also left the program to enter the portal this offseason. 

Along with Harris and Washington, true freshman edge rusher Chaz Coleman, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier, and redshirt sophomore tight end Joey Schlaffer all intend to enter the portal this winter. Coleman is the top overall player in the portal according to 247Sports Composite, with three years of eligibility remaining after his breakout true freshman campaign in Happy Valley. 

Harris won’t rank quite as highly as Coleman, but he’s a well-regarded prospect. Coming out of high school, Harris was a top-40 overall recruit in the 2023 class. The Phenix City, Alabama, product was the No. 3 cornerback in class and a top-five player in Alabama. 

Like all Penn State transfers this offseason, he’ll be connected to Virginia Tech, where James Franklin is building his first roster for the Hokies. He was also heavily recruited by Clemson and Florida in the 2023 cycle, though Florida head coach Billy Napier was fired this season. 

Without Harris, true freshmen Daryus Dixson and Jahmir Joseph should expect plenty of playing time in New York City, and both will be top priorities for Campbell to keep in Happy Valley this offseason. Both were highly-rated four-stars in the 2025 class. Dixson emerged as a major contributor this year, but Joseph played just 48 defensive snaps across three games.