Jacksonville State football standout Chris Hardie plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Hardie was arguably the Gamecocks’ top defensive player in 2023, when they finished 9-4 and won the New Orleans Bowl. The Vincent native totaled 61 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks from his defensive end spot, earning first-team All-Conference USA recognition.

Hardie has not publicly announced he is entering the portal, but reposted a 247 Sports report indicating the move via his Twitter/X account. His bio page has also been removed from Jax State’s 2024 online football roster.

Hardie, who has one season of eligibility remaining, is the fourth Jax State veteran to leave the program in recent weeks with intentions to transfer. Linebacker Larry Worth recently committed to Arkansas, while running back Ron Wiggins and cornerback Kekoura Tarnue remain undecided on their destinations.

Quarterback Earl Woods, a former star at Hueytown High School who was a true freshman in 2023, has also entered the transfer portal. The Gamecocks finished spring practice last Friday.