Jacksonville State transfer DL Chris Hardie to visit Oklahoma

Former Jacksonville State star defensive lineman Chris Hardie will visit Oklahoma this weekend as he seeks a new home out of the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

Hardie was a 2023 first-team All-CUSA selection as a defensive lineman and developed into one of the top defenders in the entire league.

The fifth-year player and multi-year starter has racked up 48 career game appearances and been an active presence along the defensive line for the Gamecocks for the past four seasons.

His statistics are pretty eye-popping as Hardie has logged 162 tackles, 46.5 tackles for a loss, 21.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two passes defended and an interception over the course of his career.

Prior to enrolling at Jacksonville State, Chris Hardie was ranked as a three-star prospect by On3 with an 88 grade. He did not have an On3 Industry Ranking, as not enough major scouting services provided a grade or evaluation on him.

Oklahoma named winner of spring portal window

A Chris Hardie commitment could be on the way in the near future, but even before his addition, On3’s Pete Nakos already pegged Oklahoma as one of the winners of the transfer portal’s spring window.

He wrote the following of OU’s portal adds:

“Oklahoma knew it needed to add proven talent in the trenches this spring before officially making the move to the SEC. The Sooners delivered. Branson Hickman (SMU) can be immediately slated into the starting mix on the offensive line, specifically at center. A three-year starter at SMU, he made 33 career starts for the Mustangs and played 2,436 snaps.

“The biggest win of the spring for OU was landing Damonic Williams (TCU). A true freshman All-American in 2022, the Sooners beat out LSU, Missouri and Texas for the 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive tackle. As impactful as Williams can be for Oklahoma’s defensive line, the transfer win signified the Sooners can compete in NIL and are ready for the SEC. The TCU transfer was the top available defensive lineman this spring. He totaled 60 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in two seasons with the Horned Frogs. Williams leaves Fort Worth with 26 career pressures and 20 hurries.”