#25

Daequan Hardy

Former cornerback at Penn State. 2023: 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 22 tackles.

CB · Penn State · Sr. · #25

5′9″ · 181 lb · Pittsburgh, PA

CFB Index 76 · #52 of 339 cornersLow confidenceAll-ConferenceBuffalo — drafted 2024, Rd 6, Pick 43, #219 overall

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 1360 nationally · Signed with Penn Hills

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former cornerback at Penn State. 2023: 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 22 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Penn Hills in 2019.
Drafted round 6 by the Buffalo in 2024.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Penn State, 60 tackles — drafted at #219 overall by Buffalo.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2019

Recruited3-star out of Penn Hills

202311 games

All-Big Tenthird

2024

Drafted by Buffaloround 6, pick 219

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1360 national

CFB

College

Penn State

2020–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

R6 · #219

Buffalo · 2024

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🎖

ALL-BIG TEN

All-Big Ten mention (2023)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2023

1 coach

2020–2023

James Franklin

Penn State

Played his entire career under James Franklin.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

BuffaloEntering 3rd NFL season

#219Rd 6 · Pick 43

BuffaloEntering 3rd NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under James Franklin — 32-16 over that span.

2020Penn State4-5HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Penn State7-6HC: James Franklin · Balanced

2022Penn State11-2HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

2023Penn State10-3HC: James Franklin · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

76All-Conference level #52 of 339?

Low confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (96th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#95 / 2842 · 96th pct

Interceptions#148 / 827 · 72nd pct

Sacks#847 / 2842 · 62nd pct

1.0

Tackles for loss#1055 / 2842 · 60th pct

3.0

Solo tackles#1716 / 2842 · 38th pct

Tackles#1794 / 2842 · 36th pct

QB hurries#1486 / 2842 · 24th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2023 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	1.8	0.2	0.2	0.3
Road5g	2.2	0.4	0.0	1.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	2.4	0.2	0.0	0.6
Weeks 8+6g	1.7	0.3	0.2	0.7

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Matt Campbell

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

76 · #52 of 339 corners

Three-star recruit. Now #52 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Penn State	22	12	3.0	1.0	7	2	--
2022	Penn State	13	9	0.5	0.5	2	1	1
2021	Penn State	15	11	3.0	1.0	6	2	--
2020	Penn State	10	8	1.0	1.0	2	--	--
Career		60	40	7.5	3.5	17	5	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2023

W 51–15

at Maryland

1 TOT · 0 TFL · 1 PD

Dominant 36-point win on the road against Maryland.

With D. Allar — 240 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 96.9 · 39 rush yds (4 car) · N. Singleton — 20 rush yds (8 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD
Wk 3	W 30-13@ Illinois	1	0	0.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 4	W 31-0vs Iowa	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	W 41-13@ Northwestern	2	2	1.0	0.0	1	1
Wk 7	W 63-0vs Massachusetts	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	2
Wk 8	L 12-20@ Ohio State	6	4	0.5	0.0	—	3
Wk 9	W 33-24vs Indiana	1	1	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 51-15@ Maryland	1	0	0.5	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	L 15-24vs Michigan	—	—	—	—	—	—
Wk 12	W 27-6vs Rutgers	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 42-0@ Michigan State	1	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Bowl	L 25-38vs Ole Miss	7	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		22	12	3.0	1.0	2	7

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology