Jonquis "JQ"Hardaway
- position Defensive Back
- height 6-3
- Weight 192
- class Sophomore
- Hometown Columbus, Ga.
- High school Central Phenix City (Ala.)
- Previous School Cincinnati
Career
• Transferred to Kentucky in 2022 after one season at the University of Cincinnati, his true freshman season
• A three-year letter winner at UK
• Played in 48 career games (11 at UC and 37 at UK) with 25 starting assignments (all at UK)
• Totaled 141 career tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions, and a forced fumble
2025 – Senior
• Invited to the Hula Bowl
• Started in all 12 games and charted 59 tackles (fourth on the team), a team-high tying five PBUs, two tackles for loss, a sack and an INT
• Named one of four game captains vs. Toledo and Georgia
• Preseason Athlon Sports All-SEC (Fourth Team)
• Had an interception that turned into a touchdown drive, adding two tackles, in the season opener vs. Toledo … Marked his third career INT
• Got a career-high tying 11 tackles at Georgia, his second double-figure tackle game in his career
• Had a career-high tying two PBUs in the win at Auburn
• Also had two pass breakups in the win over Florida, along with four tackles
• Made four tackles, including his first career QB sack, in the win over Tennessee Tech … Ended a first-quarter Tech possession with a third-down quarterback sack, setting up a UK touchdown drive
• All four of his tackles came in the decisive first half … Three of his tackles came on run support, as he had to make only one tackle on a pass completion
2024 – Junior
• All-SEC Honorable Mention (CFN)
• Started in all 12 games this season and totaled 47 tackles (fifth on the team), four pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble
• Earned a starting spot in the season opener vs. Southern Miss and recorded his first career interception for a touchback on the third play in the second quarter … Also added two tackles
• Recorded a career-high and team-high 11 tackles in the win over then No. 6/5 Ole Miss, including the first forced fumble of his career which UK recovered
• Made his second interception of the season vs. Auburn … Also had seven solo tackles
• Had four tackles and two PBUs at No. 3 Texas
2023 – Sophomore
• Transferred to Kentucky after one season at the University of Cincinnati (2022), his true freshman season
• Rated as the No. 9 overall player in the transfer portal by 247sports
• Saw action in all 13 games for UK in 2023 with one start, his first career start vs. Alabama
• Totaled 28 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry
• Totaled a career-high six tackles to go along with a TFL, a PBU and a quarterback hurry in the bowl game vs. Clemson
• Got a career-high two PBUs in the win over Akron
2022 – Freshman
• Played 11 games for the Bearcats
• Totaled a sack, four unassisted tackles and seven total tackles
• Had a season-best game vs. Temple when he logged three total tackles in the game
• Earned preseason True Freshman All-America team honors from ESPN.com
High School
• Consensus four-star recruit
• Four-year letterwinner at defensive back and wide receiver in high school
• Played senior year at Phenix City (Ala.) Central for head coach Patrick Nix
• Spent three seasons at Hardaway High School in Columbus, Georgia for head coach Michael Woolridge
• Rated among the Top 10 players in the talent-rich state of Alabama and among the Top 15 defensive backs in the country
• Led Central to a runner-up finish in the 2021 Alabama Class 7A State Championship
• Named first-team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior in 2021
• Selected to play in the 2022 Under Armour All-America Game
• Was an honorable mention All-State selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as a junior in 2020 at Hardaway
• Had 28 scholarship offers coming out of high school
Personal
• First name is Jonquis but goes by “JQ”
• Born in Columbus, Georgia
• Son of Kawana Green and Gary Hardaway
• Has one younger brother, Xavier
• Major is health promotion with a minor in coaching
JQ Says
• His nickname is “JQ”
• Other than play in the NFL, his dream job is to be a coach or TV analyst
• One thing most people don’t know about him is that he is not a morning person
• Three words to describe him are funny, tall and loving
• Besides playing football, he’s also really good at video games