As Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter head to the NFL, many may not realize that the Colorado Buffaloes already have some exciting prospects lined up for next season. One of those players is sophomore Isaiah Hardge. He recently joined a local podcast to introduce himself to Colorado fans and talk about what it means to have a Florida Boy Mentality — a mindset he shares with his coach, Deion Sanders.
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Hardge is from Hollywood, Florida. It’s a smallish town just north of Miami and south of Fort Lauderdale. Interestingly, his roots there may have played a major role in his landing with the Buffs.
Being from Fort Myers, Florida, Deion Sanders has long appreciated athletes from the area. He has also spoken in the past about how players he’s coached from the state seem to have an extra thirst to win. Perhaps that’s what he saw in Hardge. The star wide receiver, who also takes snaps at corner, certainly gave an explanation along those lines when talking about that Florida Boy Mentality.
“Florida Boy Mentality is like if you’re coming from Florida, you already know what to do. You know the hustle, already know the grind. How we got to get it out of the mud, you know?” Hardge said (via Reach the People).
“Coming from where I was, Hollywood, I grew up in the hood. So, I’m not saying I’m a hood, but I grew up in the hood. I saw a lot of things that shaped me into my character,” he added.
However, growing up in a tough community didn’t mean Hardge had to attend a rough high school. In fact, he went to St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale — a well-respected program that has produced 18 NFL players since 2012. The school also emphasizes Aristotelian theory and law in its curriculum.
Hardge the new Hunter?
When Travis Hunter graduated this past year, many thought we might never see a talent like his again at the college level. However, since then, players around the country have attempted to play both offense and defense. And little did we know, the Buffs were already developing a two-way player of their own in Hardge.
Hardge arrived at Colorado as a three-star wide receiver prospect. After redshirting his freshman season, he made the switch to corner. Last season, he appeared in 11 games but struggled to make a significant impact. He caught just one pass for 39 yards, had two carries for eight yards, and recorded five tackles on defense. For the most part, he was known as a special teams contributor.
Now, with Hunter gone, it’s wheels up for Hardge. He’ll be relied upon much more this upcoming season. It remains to be seen if he can become the next Hunter, but it’s exciting to think it’s within the realm of possibility. Maybe not a Heisman-caliber year, but enough of an impact on both sides of the ball — even in select defensive packages — to capture the interest of college football fans.
