Penn State CB makes NFL Draft, bowl decision

Penn State football is losing another veteran defender to the NFL. On Thursday, Nittany Lions CB Daequan Hardy announced his intent to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Hardy has been a mainstay on the Penn State defense for the last four seasons but is choosing not to use his additional year of COVID eligibility. However, the redshirt senior isn’t done with Penn State yet, becoming the latest in a chorus of Nittany Lions to confirm their status for the Peach Bowl. 

Daequan Hardy declares for 2024 NFL Draft, will play in Peach Bowl

Penn State CB Daequan Hardy has become the latest Nittany Lion to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. In a statement made on social media Thursday, Hardy thanked the players, coaches, and his family for his time in Happy Valley. 

pic.twitter.com/saoA0VXYOW

— Big DaeDae😈 (@DaequanHardy) December 21, 2023

Hardy is the fifth Penn State football player to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, the third to do so from the defense. But the CB joined many of the team’s veterans to confirm they will participate in the Peach Bowl on December 30. To date, Chop Robinson is the only Nittany Lion to opt out of the bowl matchup. 

Hardy has served as Penn State’s primary nickel corner for the last four seasons. He finishes his Nittany Lion career with 53 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 5 interceptions. 

The Penn State CB put together a third-team All-Big Ten caliber performance in 2023 after missing the first two games of the season. Hardy had 15 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups. He also earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for his efforts as a punt returner. 

Passing of the torch

Even with Daequan Hardy’s status confirmed, the Peach Bowl still presents a challenge for the Penn State defense. Ole Miss ranks No. 26 nationally with 277 passing yards per game coming into the contest. The status of other Nittany Lion corners, Kalen King and Johnny Dixon, is also still unknown.

If opt outs in the room occur, it appears that the bowl game will serve as a passing of the torch for Penn State at corner. Cam Miller, Zion Tracy, and Elliot Washington II would be the likely candidates to step up for the Nittany Lions at the position. The sophomore Miller appeared in eight games this season on defense. True freshmen Tracy and Washington appeared in eight and seven games, respectively, on defense and special teams.

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