Rutgers adds Mercer Safety Chris Joines in the Transfer Portal.
Rutgers football has bolstered its secondary by bringing in junior Chris Joines from Mercer through the transfer portal. Joines arrives at Rutgers with two years of eligibility left.
During his freshman year in 2022, Joines played in 10 games, making 13 tackles and recording one interception, which occurred during Mercer’s game against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. In 2023, his playing time decreased, as he appeared in six games, contributing four tackles and one pass deflection. He did see some action in Mercer’s matchup with Ole Miss.
In 2024, Joines took on a starting role for the Bears, participating in all 14 games. He tallied 70 tackles, including four for a loss, along with three pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one defensive touchdown. One of his standout performances was against Alabama, where he made four solo tackles and finished with five total tackles.
Joines was a two-star recruit from Ronald Reagan High School in North Carolina. Initially committed to Army in the 2021 class, he reclassified to the 2022 class after a year at Myrtle Beach Prep. He later reopened his commitment and eventually signed with Mercer on National Signing Day in 2021.
Joines adds to the trend of former track and field athletes joining the Knights, as he was part of the state champion 4×100-meter relay team at Myrtle Beach Prep.
He joins Jett Elad, another Rutgers transfer safety who recently gained an additional year of eligibility through the courts, and Kaj Sanders. While Elad and Sanders are likely to be the starters for Rutgers, Joines is expected to provide valuable depth.
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