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Dorian Hardy Reportedly No Longer Penn State Commit After Post-Practice Fight
Dorian Hardy Reportedly No Longer Penn State Commit After Post-Practice Fight
Tim DanielsTwitter LogoFeatured ColumnistOctober 13, 2017
Dorian Hardy, one of the top defensive ends in the 2018 college football recruiting class, is reportedly no longer committed to Penn State.
Sean Fitz of 247Sports first reported the update Friday. Land of 10's
Stephen Pianovich noted the news comes after Hardy was involved in a "post-practice brawl" at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey last week.
Charles Hardy, the father of the former Nittany Lions commit, told
Matthew Stanmyre and Todderick Hunt of NJ Advance Media his son came to the aid of a teammate during the altercation and was later punched in the face twice by assistant coach Michael Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Mitchell told
Stanmyre and Hunt in a separate interview Hardy and another member of the team were the "aggressors" in the fight, which left the assistant's son, Miles Mitchell, with a concussion and a right eye that was "nearly swollen shut."
"They tried to kill my son," Michael Mitchell said. "I just hope he makes it through this and isn't hurt for the rest of his life."
The elder Mitchell denied ever throwing a punch at Hardy but said Paramus Catholic High School fired him from his position on the football team's coaching staff.
Police told NJ Advance Media no charges were filed in the case as of Thursday.
Hardy is a 4-star prospect who's rated as the No. 196 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to the
247Sports composite rankings. He's also listed as the No. 10 strong-side defensive end in the group.
He originally committed to Penn State in June. 247Sports noted Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan were the other high-profile programs to make him an offer before he chose the Nittany Lions.