Miami lands ball-hawking CB in transfer portal

Miami (FL) football and head coach Mario Cristobal became hit with losses including coaches defecting to the NFL. But the Hurricanes swiped away one last available College Football Transfer Portal talent. This one coming out of the junior college ranks.

Takai Azziz of Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, Ca., will go from the 805 to the 305 — landing at Miami Saturday. Pete Nakos of On3/Rivals confirmed the move.

Allan Hancock cornerback Takai Azziz has committed to Miami, @On3 has learned.

Posted 3 INTs in 2025.https://t.co/YlDXAl3mYh https://t.co/IAMkeZ9QLj pic.twitter.com/CoUgNgCuoe

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) February 22, 2026

Azziz made himself available for the portal back on Dec. 17 after completing his junior college football commitment. He brings intriguing size at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds but delivered two pick sixes amid his three interceptions.

He also delivered 12 pass breakups while facing one of the more stout JUCO schedules in the state of California — as the Bulldogs annually play some of the state’s best.

Takai Azziz adding 805 representation to Miami

He’s not the first from the Santa Maria Valley to land in Coral Gables.

He’s also awfully familiar with another notable transfer addition.

The native of Orcutt, Ca., played at the same high school that produced Darian Mensah at St. Joseph High. Mensah landed at Miami back in January in one massive portal move — leaving Duke for the national title game runner-up.

“The U” will certainly spark interest among fans between San Luis Obispo County to the Santa Maria region moving forward. It’s the first time ever that Miami will feature two talents from the 805 region — and talents who played at the same high school.

Except Azziz became a national recruit out of the junior college realm. Hancock, known as one of the first coaching stops for the late John Madden plus produced former Carolina Panthers running back Cameron Artis-Payne, turned to the towering Azziz to lock down NCAA Division I talents or bounce backs each Saturday.

Now Azziz joins a stacked Miami secondary that witnessed Bryce Fitzgerald emerge as a true freshman (team-high six picks) and Jakobe Thomas pick off five passes.

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