Miami football expected battling with FSU for Georgia transfer OL Amarius Mims

The Miami football team will be pursuing another offensive lineman according to reports just days after adding Jonathan Denis as a transfer from Oregon. Former five-star Georgia OL Amarius Mims announced his entry into the transfer portal on Sunday. Florida State is the biggest competitor for Miami to sign Mims.

Florida is reportedly interested. If Mims transfers to another SEC program he would have to petition the conference to avoid sitting out this fall. The SEC has a rule that players who enter the transfer portal must declare before February 1 to avoid sitting out at another program in the conference.

The Miami football program previously added interior OL Logan Sagopolu from Oregon. The Hurricanes have added three transfers on the OL during the 2022 offseason. Five of the eight players Miami has signed through the transfer portal during the 2022 offseason have been on the offensive or defensive line.

Mims was the eighth-ranked player, third offensive tackle and number one in Georgia in the Class of 2021. According to On3, Mims was expected to compete to be in the rotation for Georgia in 2022 after the Bulldogs lost two OL from its National Championship team. Mims was considered a potential breakout player for Georgia.

Mims is 6’7, 330 pounds with an 85-inch wins span. Current Georgia and former Miami OL coach Stacy Searles did not recruit Mims to Athens. Searles reportedly yelled too much at the Miami OL during his Hurricanes tenure. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman recruited Mims to Georgia when he was the Bulldogs’ OL coach.

Matt Luke who resigned this winter took over for Pittsburgh and helped secure Mims. Mims was not at the second scrimmage for Georgia on Saturday. Last year, Mims was an early enrollee. Mims played in eight games as a true freshman in 2021. If he chooses Miami, Mims would have a better opportunity to start.

Miami currently has projected four-year starter, Zion Nelson, at left tackle and D.J. Scaife at right tackle. If Miami can sign Mims, it would allow Scaife to return to guard where he has been more productive during his Hurricanes’ career. Mims originally chose Georgia over Alabama, Auburn and Florida.