UGA football: Re-ranking the Bulldogs’ 2016 recruiting class
814. . Athlete (Defensive back and wide receiver). Bulldogs . Mecole Hardman. 1. player
2016 national ranking: No. 12
2016 UGA class ranking: No. 2
Years at UGA: 2016-2018
Current team: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
Mecole Hardman made picking the new No. 1 player in the 2016 class easy. The amazing athlete from Bowman, Ga. accumulated 1,933 all-purpose yards and scored 14 touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia. He picked up most of his yards after switching to offense before his sophomore season.
Hardman played his best games in Atlanta. In one trip to Georgia Tech, two SEC Championship Games and the national title game played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Hardman had 28 touches and accumulated 442 total yards and scored two touchdowns.
Hardman’s affinity for big games stretched beyond I-285. South Carolina and Auburn never had answers for him. He had his coming-out party at Notre Dame in 2017 and was a difference-maker in the shootout win over Missouri that year as well. Hardman produced when it mattered the most.
He shocked fans after the 2018 season when he decided to enter the NFL Draft, but the decision paid off. Hardman started five games and appeared in 16 as a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs, catching 26 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns. He added 704 yards and one more touchdown on 27 kickoff returns. The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl.
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As the most productive player from the 2016 class in both college and the NFL, Mecole Hardman easily takes the No. 1 spot in the adjusted class rankings. He lived up to his initial recruiting rankings in every way.