A little over two months ago, superstar running back for the Missouri Tigers, Ahmad Hardy, was shot in the leg while attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi. Since then, the suspect has been apprehended, and Hardy has been on the road to recovery. It has been anything but easy, as the bullet struck him deep enough and hit bone.
Yesterday during Tigers media day, however, Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz provided a hopeful update on the incoming junior. While Hardy has been medically cleared by doctors from the gunshot wound, his timetable to return to the football field is still uncertain.
It's the first meaningful update Mizzou fans have gotten on their best offensive player since the incident and one that offers hope he can be a full-go by the time the season rolls around in early September. “When Ahmad (Hardy) scores his first touchdown this year—that’s what I’ll be thinking about," Drinkwitz said. "His journey from hospital bed to end zone”
Ahmad Hardy's return to action just got much clearer after latest report
Coming off a freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe, where Hardy ran for over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, he transferred to the big boy league to play for Missouri in the SEC. And to say that decision for him paid off would be an understatement.
Last season, the 5'10", 205 lb Hardy ran for over 1,600 yards on 6.4 yards per carry and found the end zone 16 times. He was awarded All-American honors and projects to be a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, assuming he puts together another season like that.
The Tigers under Drinkwitz have seen their most wins (29) in a three-year span since the mid-2000s with Head Coach Gary Pinkel. They've made a Bowl game each of the last five seasons and won the Cotton Bowl and Music City Bowl in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Hardy was an integral piece of last year's success, and projects to be the same once again. But it won't be easy, as the Tigers lost a fair amount of talent on both sides of the ball this past year to the draft. Zion Young, Chris McClellan, and Josiah Trotter were all big contributors in the front seven, along with Toriano Pride Jr. on the backend. Not to mention wide receiver Kevin Coleman, who had over 700 yards, and offensive linemen Keagen Trost.
Starting quarterback Beau Pribula also transferred to play for the University of Virginia, leaving incoming Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons to take his place as the lead man. Simmons has very little experience, but no doubt having a guy like Ahmad Hardy right next to him in the backfield will help take loads of pressure off Simmons and the entire offense.
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