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Miami offensive lineman Zion Nelson enters Transfer Portal

On3 imageby:Dan Morrison•12/24/24•

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Miami
Oct 30, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Hurricanes helmets sit on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Zion Nelson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. On3’s Pete Nakos has confirmed the move.

Nelson was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2019 out of Sumter, South Carolina, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 126th-ranked offensive tackle and the 1,380th-ranked player overall in that recruiting cycle.

In 2019, Nelson’s freshman season with Miami, he earned the starting role at left tackle for all 13 games. Through the 2021 season, Nelson would continue to be a key member of the Hurricanes’ offensive line, becoming a linchpin at left tackle. By that time, he appeared to be a future NFL offensive lineman.

Unfortunately for Nelson, injuries then seemed to derail his college career. A knee surgery in 2022, along with several setbacks, has largely kept him off the field in the time since going down. Now, as he enters the transfer portal, the hope is that he’ll be able to bounce back into a new situation and once again get to the level he had been playing at prior to the injury. The 2025 college football season will be Nelson’s seventh in college football, giving him experience that is almost impossible to find.

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As a program, Miami is coming off its best season in a long time. Head coach Mario Cristobal led the Hurricanes to a record of 10-2 in the regular season and is hoping to get to an 11th win in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. At 10 wins, it’s the best season by record at Miami since 2017 under Mark Richt. If Miami can get its 11th win, it would be the most wins in a single season for Miami since 2003, the program’s final year in the Big East.

The transfer portal opened on December 9th. This is one of two different opportunities in the offseason for players to enter the portal, with the other coming following Spring practice.

Miami has been active in the transfer portal under Mario Cristobal in past years. That appears to be continuing this year. The Hurricanes 2025 transfer class is currently ranked ninth in the 2025 On3 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. That class includes 10 players who have exited the program and six who are set to transfer into it. Of course, there is still time for that ranking to change, though.

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