A Cut Above: Talented Hargreaves Thrives on Competition
Friday, July 24, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The son of a coach, Vernon Hargreaves III owns a more nuanced view of football than most players his age.
He sees things others miss completely. He grasps the whys and hows quicker than most. He is a natural, a fierce competitor with a clue.
And then Hargreaves has another advantage many of his teammates and opponents lack: elite talent.
Add those qualities up, and it's easy to understand the whys and hows of Hargreaves' status as he enters his third season at UF.
Hargreaves is considered the Gators' most talented player, the player on the roster most likely to be a star in the NFL. Several 2016 NFL mock drafts have Hargreaves going in the first 10 picks prior to a snap of his junior season.
“He's all that has been advertised,'' first-year Florida coach Jim McElwain said. “That guy is a great player, understands how to handle himself, and gets it.”
The last time we saw Hargreaves on the field was in January. On the 869th play of the season for the Florida defense – its final play – the 5-foot-11, 199-pound Hargreaves sealed a 28-20 victory over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl by picking off a pass from Pirates quarterback Shane Carden in the end zone.
A year after Hargreaves debuted on the first Florida team with a losing record 34 years, his interception ensured the 2014 Gators finished with a winning record.
Perhaps small consolation in the big picture, but much-needed nonetheless for a program that has turned to McElwain to add more offense and victories.
“It's tough when you don't win,'' Hargreaves said. “That's all I want to do.”
If the Gators win in 2015, expect Hargreaves to continue to be a major reason why.
Hargreaves was a first-team All-American as a sophomore and is considered one of the top returning defensive players in the country. He is the best cornerback the Gators have had since Joe Haden helped Florida win a national championship in 2008.
Seems fitting Hargreaves wears No. 1.
“He pushes everybody,'' senior defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard said. “With him being so good, the way he works, it is unbelievable. He's not a leader you can get on. That's the type of leadership you need.”
It's the type of leader Hargreaves learned to be growing up when he tagged along with his father, Vernon Hargreaves Jr. The elder Hargreaves, in his first season as linebackers coach at Arkansas, was a Miami assistant for several years when Vernon III was young.
He often watched Hurricanes such as first-round picks Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams practice under the direction of his dad. He learned what it took to be a great player.
Hargreaves uses a technique to motivate his Florida teammates he learned watching those Hurricanes practice. If one of the defensive backs drops an interception or misses a play in practice, Hargreaves tells them to do push-ups. He does the same.
Considering who is giving the orders, they do them.
“The first time I told them to do push-ups, they kind of looked at me like, 'Are you serious?' '' Hargreaves said. “They understood where I was coming from. They know I wasn't trying to be an arrogant leader, and I do my fair share of push-ups. I think they respected me enough to do them.”
Hargreaves earned a spot in the starting lineup in only his third game at UF and has started 22 consecutive games heading into the season opener Sept. 5 against New Mexico State.
He finished last season with 50 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups, which was tied for tops in the Southeastern Conference.
The Gators are 11-13 in his two seasons, a trend he wants to reverse in what could be his final season at Florida. Hargreaves admits while the personal accolades are nice, he wants more wins to celebrate and more points from the offense.
“It's frustrating, which is natural, but I think it's how you control it and where you put that frustration,'' he said. “You can put it toward the offense and not help anybody, or you can keep it to yourself and use it to get better and better your teammates.
“I'm excited to get this offense going, hopefully put some points on the board. We're going to be hard to beat if we can do that.”
With Hargreaves the leader of a secondary that returns Brian Poole, Keanu Neal, Duke Dawson, Jalen Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye, the Florida defense has an opportunity to continue to be among the nation's best.
First-year defensive coordinator Geoff Collins inherited a talented group that is determined not to have a drop-off following the departure of former head coach Will Muschamp, who relied on the defense to win games during his four seasons.
Hargreaves sees no reason why the Gators can't continue to excel defensively despite the coaching change.
“The playbook is pretty much the same. Coach Collins came in and asked us how we wanted to call things and how we wanted to run things, etcetera, and etcetera,'' he said. “I think that helped us out a lot. It's going to be the same fast and physical Florida defense. We're going to rely on the secondary because we're the best part of the team. We're probably the best in the country.”
As he settled into his new job in the spring, it didn't take McElwain long to figure out Hargreaves was a cut above.
The whys and hows were on display each day at practice.
“He loves to compete. When the competition is there, he elevates his play a little more,'' McElwain said. “I love the way this guy comes to work every day.”
