Daequan Hardy is the true definition of an “underdog story.” Despite being one of the most productive high school football players in the state of Pennsylvania, he was largely overlooked as a recruiting prospect in the 2019 class due to his size. Recruiting sites and colleges alike thought Hardy was too small at 5-foot-9 and too slight of frame at 160 pounds to be a power conference football player. Instead, his recruitment was shaping up to be a MAC battle between Buffalo and Toledo, each of which received official visits from Hardy during January of his senior season.
Unlike most power conference schools, Penn State kept tabs on Hardy and ended up hosting him for an official visit and offering him a scholarship late in January.