Starting Miami safety in the transfer portal will play for Georgia and Kirby Smart

It's that time of year where we continue to see former Miami Hurricanes playmakers land with different programs. Not long ago, starting safety Jaden Harris announced he was going to be leaving Coral Gables after three years on campus with the program.

On Dec. 31, Harris officially entered the portal and several teams reached out. Over the weekend, he reportedly took a trip to Penn State. However, he has found a new home and it's in Athens. On Tuesday morning, news dropped that Harris will be signing with the Georgia Bulldogs to make plays for Kirby Smart:

Former Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jaden Harris has signed with Georgia

The Bulldogs just saw their season end after losing to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Following the loss, though, Smart has been working overtime in landing portal talent, highlighted by Harris and Zachariah Branch.

A quick look on social media shows that Miami fans are quite surprised that Harris, who struggled with inconsistent play at times throughout the season, will be Georgia-bound. In 2023 for the Hurricanes and Mario Cristobal, the 6-0, 195-pounder finished with only seven total tackles.

However, he saw extensive playing time this past season, posting 40 total tackles, two pass deflections and one interception. Coming out of Riverwood High in Atlanta, Harris signed with Miami over 21 other known offers - he was ranked three stars and the No. 51 CB in the country according to the 247Sports Composite.

In the portal, he was ranked the No. 41 transfer safety and No. 518 player overall. Miami's defense is going to have a totally different look for next season too, as defensive coordinator Lance Guidry was fired from his spot due to the late-season woes performed by his unit. As great as the Miami offense, led by Cam Ward, was, the defense let the Hurricanes down time and time again in 2024.