Signing Day Spotlight: Mecole Hardman
More Spotlights: Ben Davis | Demetrius Robertson
Five-star athlete Mecole Hardman Jr. flirted with some other programs, made it intriguing, took some visits, but in the end it looks like the Bowman (Ga.) Elbert County standout could be staying home.
Signs really started to point that way in the last few weeks as Hardman took another visit to Georgia – instead of heading to Alabama this past weekend – and it is hard to believe that the five-star is going to head to one of the Big Ten schools still in the running.
Could Hardman pull a surprise move on National Signing Day? Absolutely. But the way it looks a few days out is that coach Kirby Smart is about to get an in-state five-star to head to Athens.
That would be a huge step for the first-year coach because Hardman is a dynamic player who could excel in a number of roles.
Here are comments from reporters that cover each school that is under the most serious consideration:
“Yes, Alabama is atop his list. Yes, they hired Jeremy Pruitt. Yes, it looks like the Tide have a very real shot with Hardman. Even with all the good mojo, Nick Saban and company have to be more than a little perturbed that bad weather kept the five-star athlete from making his scheduled official visit to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Making matters worse, Hardman unexpectedly showed up in Athens on Saturday to spend time with Kirby Smart and the new Georgia staff. Many have long expected him to land in Athens on signing day. If he does, which looks possible, this weekend will have gone a long way to that end.” – Jake Reuse, UGASports.com
"Hardman surprised some when he announced Alabama as his favorite at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Alabama did not receive an official visit from Hardman this month despite his strong relationship with new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. He did not spend as much time in Tuscaloosa as he did in other college towns. Hardman is not likely to choose the Crimson Tide on Signing Day." – Andrew Bone, TideSports.com
“Michigan took its shot at Hardman, but it seems like things never really clicked. His visit for the Wolverines' regular-season loss to Ohio State happened to be one of the worst U-M contests for a prospect to witness in person, and for a team that needed every possible advantage to land him over teams a little closer to home, it could be the kiss of death.” - Tim Sullivan, TheWolverine.com
“Ohio State made a late push for Hardman after the five-star athlete spent some time around several Buckeye commits at the Army Bowl. That resulted in getting an official visit. Hardman's time with head coach Urban Meyer went well, but ultimately Ohio State got into this one way too late and combined with the distance from home, this does not look like a prospect that the Buckeyes have a very good chance with. I expect Hardman to end up at Georgia.” – Marc Givler, BuckeyeGrove.com