Former Georgia, Texas A&M defensive back Smoke Bouie re-enters transfer portal

A Class of 2022 top recruit is back in the NCAA transfer portal.

Former Georgia and Texas cornerback Smoke Bouie officially re-entered the transfer portal Saturday morning, On3 has learned.

Bouie transferred to the Bulldogs from the Aggies this past winter, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart had said in July that the Georgia native was no longer with the program.

“It’s been that way for a while,” Smart said at the time. “He’s kind of mutually agreed to part ways, and we wish him nothing but the best. It’s very disappointing that his stay was short, but it was a decision that was made on both parties. And like I said, we wish him nothing but the best. He’s from the hometown where I’m from. I know a lot of people back there, but it was the decision that was made.”

Bouie ranked as the 11th-best cornerback, 84th-best overall prospect and ninth-best player from Georgia in the 2022 recruiting class according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

During spring practice at Georgia, he worked primarily with the Bulldogs’ second- and third-team defensive units. As a freshman at A&M last year, he played in seven games and finished the season with four tackles and a pass breakup.

With it being outside of the transfer portal windows and with Bouie now being a multi-time transfer, he’d need a waiver in order to be immediately eligible to play this season at a new school. Based on the recent track record of the NCAA, it seems unlikely he’d get one.

Of the 16 top-85 overall recruits that signed with A&M as part of that historic No. 1 ranked class in 2022, five are already gone from the Aggies program — defensive back Denver Harris, wide receiver Chris Marshall, defensive lineman Anthony Lucas, offensive lineman PJ Williams and Bouie.

Two of those, Marshall and Bouie, are also already now gone from the schools they joined this offseason. Marshall, the No. 3 ranked wide receiver and No. 24 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, is set to spend this season at Kilgore Community College in Texas. Harris, who transferred to LSU, has been away from the team this week and “handling some personal matters” as part of discipline from Tigers head coach Brian Kelly. Harris ranked as the No. 3 cornerback and No. 23 overall prospect in the ’22 class.

Lucas, meanwhile, transferred to USC. Williams is now at SMU.

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