After transferring from Georgia, AJ Harris came one win away from winning a Big Ten title at Penn State in 2024. Now, after leaving Happy Valley for his final season of eligibility, he’ll have another shot at helping to claim the conference crown with the Indiana Hoosiers.
On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Harris, who many viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft before his junior season, has committed to Indiana after two seasons at 26 starts for the Nittany Lions.
Sources: Former Penn State/Georgia corner A.J. Harris is committing to Indiana. He’s one of the top cornerbacks in the portal and the latest in Indiana’s significant portal haul for 2026. He’s a two-year starter at Penn State and brings 26 career starts. pic.twitter.com/dwhEFnLGhK
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 12, 2026
The Hoosiers will play for the national championship on Monday, January 19, but before finishing this season, Curt Cignetti has already set the program up for sustained success with a loaded transfer portal class. Along with Harris, his 15-player incoming class includes commitments from TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh.
AJ Harris commits to Indiana for final season of eligibility
Harris is the second cornerback that Indiana has added in this Transfer Portal cycle, joining Montana State transfer Carson Williams. Williams, an FCS freshman All-American, will be a long-term option for the Hoosiers at outside corner, while Harris will serve as the stop-gap replacement for D’Angelo Ponds.
The former James Madison transfer earned All-American honors this season and is a transformational force for defensive coordinator Bryant Haines. In a zone-heavy scheme, the 5-foot-9 Ponds serves as the Hoosiers’ boundary corner, often blanketing the opponent's No. 1 receiver and allowing the rest of the secondary to roll coverage toward the field side.
As a lockdown cover corner, Ponds allows the Hoosiers to have numbers in the secondary and play more base defense with four defensive linemen and three linebackers, even against opponents’ 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end, 3 wide receivers). With more big bodies on the field, Indiana was one of the stoutest run defenses in the country.
Is Harris that type of one-on-one force? He was in 2024, his sophomore season, under then-Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. However, he, along with the rest of the Penn State football program, took a step back in 2025.
Curt Cignetti always bets on production over potential when he’s building a roster, but with Harris, he’s getting a little bit of both. He’s an experienced player with impressive measurables who could thrive in his program. For Harris, he’s getting another chance to win a Big Ten Title, and more than that, a national championship because the Hoosiers aren’t going anywhere soon.
Penn State won’t see Harris unless it meets Indiana in the postseason, as the Hoosiers don’t return to the Nittany Lions’ schedule until 2027.