Will Hardy
Will Hardy
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Four seasons at North Carolina, three different head coaches: Mack Brown, Freddie Kitchens and Bill Belichick. One game to point at: 8 tackles against Duke — Week 13, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Mack Brown, Freddie Kitchens, and Bill Belichick. Multi-era developmental context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bill Belichick
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | North Carolina | 51 | 23 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | North Carolina | 33 | 17 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | North Carolina | 22 | 15 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | North Carolina | 32 | 18 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 138 | 73 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025
W 41–6
vs Richmond
1 TOT · 1 NO · 22 YDS
Dominant 35-point win at home against Richmond.
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
North Carolina
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · North Carolina
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -11 net (20 in / 31 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
North Carolina · Last season: 4-8 · Talent rank #31 · 2026 recruiting class #19
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaxen Turner’s 2023 season.
Matches Jaxen on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaxen Turner's senior season at UNLV (2023).
Matches Jaxen on