Super 11: Atlantic Coast's Camden Hardy embraces life as second-generation football star

Life can feel a little different when growing up in Jacksonville as the son of a Pro Bowler from the Jaguars' golden age. It didn't take long for Camden Hardy to find out.

"Coming to all the Jags games and stuff and being around that, seeing what was going on," he said, "it started to click in my head."

A second-generation star on the Jacksonville gridiron, the Atlantic Coast edge rusher is the Stingrays' newest member of the Times-Union's Super 11 for 2023, the annual selection of top-ranked preseason senior recruits from Northeast Florida high school football.

A 6-3, 225-pound pass rusher at home as a defensive end or an outside linebacker, he's on course for Wake Forest after a recruiting process that he describes as enjoyable.

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Hardy enters the Super 11 list as the third honoree all-time from Atlantic Coast — his new coach, Step Durham, was the first in 2013, with wide receiver Patrick Bryant II in 2020 in between.

But his high school isn't the only part of the illustrious football legacy that he's carrying onward.

BUTKUS AWARD PEDIGREE

Even before Camden Hardy pulled on a helmet for the first time, he was already tied to Jacksonville's football history.

His father, former Jaguars linebacker Kevin Hardy, played college football at Illinois and won the Butkus Award in 1995 as the nation's best linebacker on his way to the No. 2 overall NFL Draft selection from the Jaguars in 1996. From there, he went on to play six years in Jacksonville — four of them making the playoffs, one of them as an All-Pro — before later stints with the Cowboys and Bengals.

The first football lesson Camden Hardy remembers from his father: "Always keep my hands ready, to always use my hands to beat blocks and stuff like that."

It paid off quickly. He took to the gridiron early and progressed rapidly in the game, even playing a Pop Warner tournament on the same EverBank Stadium surface where his father starred during his Jaguars years.

He also got to watch as his older brother, Langston Hardy, grew into a prospect in his own right as a combination tight end and defensive end at Episcopal and later at Sandalwood on his way to UConn.

The pressure was inevitable. But over time, Camden Hardy said, he's learned to turn it into a positive. Recruiters have taken notice: The 247Sports composite ranks him as a top-60 edge rusher in the 2024 class.

"It did [feel like extra pressure] in the beginning, but as time went on, I kind of relaxed in my role," he said.

LEADING THE STINGRAYS

With Atlantic Coast, he's continued his development as a productive pass rusher in spite of frequent double-teams and the Stingrays' struggles in the win column.

Last year, Hardy fought through the blocks to record 7 1/2 sacks along with a couple of pass breakups, and further stretched his athletic skills during a spring track and field season that included a third-place finish in the Gateway Conference javelin competition. This year, he said his goal is simple enough: He's aiming to become Jacksonville's sack leader.

As he draws on the football lessons from his father, he's also studying the 2023 version of the game, particularly focusing on third-year Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Bills veteran Von Miller.

At Atlantic Coast and beyond, he's well positioned for success. He committed in February to Wake Forest, a program that has heavily recruited Northeast Florida in recent years with signings like Derrell Johnson (Lee), Davaughn Patterson (White) and Ryan Smenda (Fleming Island).

From those first football sessions at home, Hardy is now looking forward to new football opportunities in the ACC. He's not letting up.

"The main [lesson] is just always work hard," he said, "because you never know how long you have."

LB Camden Hardy

School: Atlantic Coast

Height/weight: 6-3, 225.

Recruiting status: Committed to Wake Forest.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Camden Hardy, Atlantic Coast: Super 11, Northeast Florida football