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Former Oklahoma LB/DB Announces Transfer Destination

Former Oklahoma defensive back Justin Harrington is headed to the Big Ten for the 2024 season.

Ryan Chapman

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Harrington has found a new home. 

The former Oklahoma defensive back committed to Washington in a post on his Instagram account on Tuesday. 

Harrington, a seventh-year senior from Raleigh, NC, was awarded another year of eligibility after missing a majority of the 2023 season with a knee injury. 

After taking stock of Oklahoma’s depth at linebacker and safety throughout spring football, he opted to enter the transfer portal. 

The former junior college All-American seemed as if he would find a home at Brent Venables’ hybrid linebacker and safety position, the Cheetah, before going down with an injury in the second game of 2023 against SMU.

Harrington’s road to starting for the Sooners was long and winding.

Initially joining the program under Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, he never seemed to get a foothold as Grinch deployed him at cornerback instead of safety. 

Harrington then left the team, but returned to the program as a walk-on under Venables. 

Now, the 6-foot-3 defensive back will get a chance to make the most of his final season of college football in Seattle under new Washington head coach Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick. 

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Ryan Chapman

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.