J.Q. Hardaway
J.Q. Hardaway
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 11 tackles against Georgia — Week 6, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Mark Stoops.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kentucky | 58 | 40 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Kentucky | 47 | 33 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Kentucky | 29 | 21 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Cincinnati | 8 | 5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 142 | 99 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 12 | 3 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2025
W 10–3
at Auburn
3 TOT · 1 SOLO · 2 PD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 7 on the road.
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Kentucky
Returning around him
- 4 Kentucky players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (29 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kentucky · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #27 · 2026 recruiting class #60
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Shavon Revel’s 2023 season.
Matches Shavon on
Differs from Shavon on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Zach Ford's senior season at Toledo (2023).
Matches Zach on