Penn State Cornerback Daequan Hardy Declares for NFL Draft

Penn State football cornerback Daequan Hardy announced on Thursday that he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft, but will play in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.

“I want to thank Coach [James] Franklin, Coach Terry [Smith], staff and players for making my time here at Penn State special and unforgettable,” Hardy wrote. “I poured my heart on the field [and] made relationships that will last a lifetime. This place will be forever etched in my heart.

“With that being said, after a lot of thought & prayers, I will be forgoing my remaining year of eligibility and declaring for the 2024 NFL draft. I am excited to take the field one last time with my brothers in the Peach Bowl.”

Hardy spent five years as a Nittany Lion beginning in 2019. Hailing from Pittsburgh’s Penn Hills High School as a three-star prospect, Hardy played in two games his freshman season.

He then played in every game from 2020 until this past season when he missed the first two contests against West Virginia and Delaware. Perhaps his most memorable moment was against UMass, when he scored two punt return touchdowns to become the first-ever player to do so in school history and the 25th FBS player to accomplish the feat since 2000.

The Pittsburgh native has 25 pass breakups, five interceptions, and three touchdowns in his Penn State career. He joins a list of Nittany Lions that will play in the Peach Bowl against Ole Miss despite declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft that includes Curtis Jacobs, Theo Johnson and Caedan Wallace.