For a team that has lacked explosive plays and an ability to generate exciting and productive offense, one might ask the question if Penn State senior safety and breakout punt returner Daquan Hardy is ripe for an offensive role.
So far this season, Hardy has returned two punts for touchdowns, with a third called back due to a penalty against Indiana. The two touchdown returns already leads the nation and a third would give him a two touchdown lead against the next best return man. It has taken just seven attempts to hit that mark, a figure that has slightly propped up Hardy’s nation-leading return average of 23.29 yards per return.
Whatever the case might be, Hardy has been a spark to a Penn State team that has lacked an explosive edge all year long, so would it make sense to play Hardy on offense?
“On offense, yeah, we have not done that,” Franklin said of contemplating Hardy having an offensive role. “Again, it’s not that easy. It’s got to be something that you make a decision on very early on and somebody that has the ability to learn both and do both at a high level. It’s not something you can just say, OK, this week we’re going to make this guy an offensive player. If you do that, you’re probably just going to use him on the pass plays, and everybody knows he’s in for just the pass play.
“So it’s more complex than that. We have guys on defense that just play defense that have missed assignments. We have guys on offense that just play offense and have missed assignments, and that’s limiting their ability to play more, too many missed assignments.”
Franklin probably isn’t wrong. Being able to make plays in space on a very specific style of play is vastly different than being able to create that same level of impact on a traditional offensive snap. Equally true, throwing Hardy out onto the field on offense either telegraphs what is happening next, or takes a legitimate receiving threat off the field if he’s simply out there to be decoy.
And if nothing else, it keeps one of Penn State’s best safeties healthy for where he’s really needed. Hardy might be explosive, but he also leads Penn State in passes broken up and interceptions — explosive plays in their own right.
