At age 17, Hazell was unsure of his college intentions when he attended a college fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hazell was approached by a man who insisted he consider a small school in Ohio, so Hazell found the closest booth of a small Ohio college and filled out an information card. Three weeks later, Hazell received a phone call from Muskingum University head coach, Jeff Heacock, asking Hazell to come on a recruiting visit. Hazell agreed to take a visit, also scheduling a visit with Waynesburg College the same weekend. In four hours, Hazell fell in love with, and ultimately chose Muskingum. When Hazell enrolled at Muskingum in the fall of 1982, he lettered as a wide receiver. Hazell had a breakout sophomore season in 1983, hauling in season records of 805 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. His stellar performance earned him his first All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honor. Hazell would go on to earn a letter each season for the Muskies as a member of the football team. As a junior in 1984, Hazell earned All-OAC honors again helping the team tie a school record 9 wins in a single season. As a senior during the 1985 season Hazell served as a team captain, on his way to earning All-OAC honors as well as Division III Honorable Mention All-American honors by Pizza Hut. Hazell also participated as a sprinter on the track team, where he was a multi-year letter winner. Hazell's 132 receptions and 1,966 receiving yards stood as Muskies career records until James Washington broke both records in 2013.
