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P L A Y E R B I O S WHAT HE DID Hardy was a three-year letterman and a two-year starter at Penn Hills, one of Pittsburgh's top high school programs. During his senior season, he averaged just over 22 yards per reception (817 yards on 37 receptions) and another 17.8 yards per rush (373 yards on 21 car- ries). He was a major force on defense and special teams, too, scoring 22 total touch- downs. Hardy also had his best game on the biggest stage, totaling 340 all-pur- pose yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in the PIAA 5A state cham- pionship game. In addition to two receiv- ing touchdowns on o:ense, he scored on an 84-yard kick return and also took an interception 100 yards for a score. Penn Hills defeated Manheim Central, 36-31, capping a 16-0 season. WHAT HE WON In addition to multiple All-State honors, Hardy was named Class 5A Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Football Writers Association in 2018. He was also a 9nalist for the Mr. PA Football Award for big schools, Class 4A-6A. The award was set to be announced Feb. 16. Hardy also announced Jan. 31 that he will represent Pennsylvania in the Big 33 game, which takes place May 27. He 9n- ished with a two-star rating on Rivals.com. WHERE HE VISITED Hardy and Penn Hills attended Penn State's seven-on- seven tournament the past two summers. He also attended a spring practice session last April. He received scholarship o:ers from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Pitt, but because of his size – he's listed at 5-foot-9, 160 pounds – many of the schools that were interested in him ultimately decided to go in a di:erent direction when they were able to meet him in person. By the end of the season, Akron, Kent State and Toledo were the three schools that looked most realistic. Then Penn State decided to host Hardy for an o;cial visit the weekend of Jan. 18-20. He le< campus without an o:er, but on Feb. 5, one day ahead of sign- ing day, James Franklin invited him to join Penn State's class. Hardy ended up com- mitting later that same evening. QUOTABLE Franklin: "I think what hap- pens sometimes with coaches is that you get so caught up in the eyeball test and measurements. Daequan is not a big, im- posing guy at this point in his career, but if you put the tape on and watch his pro- duction, he had as good a senior year as anybody in the country." PHIL'S TAKE There is a night-and-day di:erence between Hardy's junior and senior highlight videos. In his senior video, he is much more decisive in every aspect of his play at wide receiver, cor- nerback and as a return specialist. He has great hands and combines his catching ability with sub-4.5-second 40-yard speed. The area where I see Hardy having the best opportunity to make an impact at Penn State is as a punt returner. When he gets his hands on the football in space, he has the ability to change direction on a dime and accelerate out of his cut to get to full speed in one or two strides. Hardy will need to add weight if he's going to be a factor at cornerback or as a slot receiver. But his potential is readily apparent on 9lm. He runs precise routes and knows how to 9nd the open areas in zone cover- age schemes. This was a solid gamble for the Nittany Lions as they approached the end of the recruiting cycle. ■ OUT WITH A BANG Hardy ended his high school career with a spectacular four-touchdown performance in the PIAA 5A champi- onship game. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com Rivals.com DAEQUAN HARDY RIVALS ★★ | POS Ath. | HT 5-9 | WT 160 | HOME Pittsburgh, Pa. | SCHOOL Penn Hills

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