Division 2 Highlight Reel: JaQuan Hardy, RB, Tiffin University
By Brandin Gubitosa
The red-shirt-junior running back was one of 36 Division II football players nominated for the 2019 Harlon Hill Trophy. The Harlon Hill award is the Heisman of Division 2 for best college player!
JaQuan made NFL Draft Diamonds Small School Rankings
Running Back JaQuan Hardy was certainly worthy of nomination last season. The 2019 GMAC Player of the Year rushed for 1,554 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one fumble. In eight of the 11 games he rushed for over 100 yards. He averaged 141.3 yards per game and 7.62 yards per carry. Hardy was in the top ten for every category above!
The shifty running back out of Westlake, Ohio rushed for 1,000 yards for the second straight season. He is a big time playmaker that is patient in the backfield and can knock over linebackers when running down field. Hardy did not dissapoint this season as he battled back from a knee injury in 2018.
One thing I really like about Hardy is his ability to weave in and out of defenders breaking tackles with ease. On tape you can see that it takes more than one defender to take him down as he strives off contact. He is certainly a player to watch this season.
Scouting Notes:
JaQuan Hardy is one of my deep sleepers in the NFL Draft of 2021. He is a shifty running back with great speed and can cut on a dime. He can catch the ball out the backfield and his burst is insane. Hardy will have to face the “level of competition” haters, but he is a game changer. – Damond Talbot, NFL Draft Diamonds Owner
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com