Miami transfer OT Zion Nelson commits to SMU

Former Miami offensive tackle Zion Nelson will transfer to play for SMU in 2025. He spent the past six seasons with the Hurricanes and this will be his final year of college eligibility.

Nelson was a regular starter across each of his first three seasons with the team, appearing in 36 games with 32 starts. However, injuries have limited him to only one game in each of the past three years.

As a recruit, Nelson was a three-star prospect out of Sumter, South Carolina, in 2019. He ranked as the No. 1,380 overall player and No. 126 offensive tackle in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

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.

Nelson is a highly touted addition for the Hurricanes, coming in as the No. 487 overall player and No. 37 offensive tackle in On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings. He is the ninth player that the Mustangs have added through the portal so far and the third offensive lineman.

Of course, SMU is coming off of a season in which it finished runner up in the ACC and earned a trip to the College Football Playoff. It will hope to continue that success next season with Nelson looking to make an impact as well.

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

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