Auburn Tigers cornerback J.D Rhym enters NCAA transfer portal

The spring transfer portal window is open for college football, and it hasn’t taken long for players to start entering their names and looking for a new home for the upcoming 2024 seasons. The Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze have likely lost a contributor to their defensive plans for next season as On3 has just learned that cornerback J.D Rhym has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

Rhym played high school football at Valdosta High School in Valdosta, GA. He would be listed as a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class with a nearly 93 grade, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Hayes was the nation’s No. 162 recruit, ranked 14 among safeties, and was the No. 16-best player to come out of the state of Georgia in his class.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Rhym spent the last two seasons at Auburn but saw his playing time significantly reduced after the program parted ways with Brian Harsin and made Freeze the head coach. Under Harsin, the former safety turned corner played in 12 games during his freshman season, recording 14 tackles, nine solo, and one pass defended. Under Freeze, Rhym played in just four games, recording six total tackles, four solo, and recorded his first collegiate interception.

Rhym is the second Auburn defensive player to head to the transfer portal on Tuesday, joining defensive lineman Brenton Williams, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. However, given how competitive SEC-based programs’ spring practices can be, they will likely not be the last.

Williams departs from the Auburn program following just one season on The Plains. He appeared in just two games in his freshman year last season for the Tigers, and he recorded zero stats.

Williams was a three-star prospect out of Opelika High School in Alabama. For the 2023 recruiting cycle, he was ranked the No. 863 overall player and No. 94 defensive lineman in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound pass rusher provides physicality and speed off of the edge on the defensive line, playing the buck position on Auburn’s defense. In high school as a senior Williams recorded 55 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks, also lettering in basketball after being ranked as one of the 40 football players in the state by On3.

On3’s Kaiden Smith contributed to this article