The Missouri Tigers continue to play without Ahmad Hardy.
Even without their top-notch running back, Mizzou has put together a strong start to the season and will be hoping to prove they’re a contender in the SEC.
But the Hardy absence continues to be a key narrative for Missouri. Without him, they’re a worse team.
New QB Austin Simmons has made sure the Tigers’ fanbase doesn’t miss Hardy too much in the early going. But there’s going to be a game this season where they’ll want to run the football frequently, and it’ll be tougher if they still don’t have Hardy.
How Long is Ahmad Hardy Out?
It’s still yet to be determined how long Hardy is out.
It sounds like Hardy still hasn’t gotten back to practice, and when he does, it sounds like it’ll take at least two weeks for him to be ready to play.
“The whole situation is we’re trying to get to a two-week ramp-up period where he could be at least what he was last year, right,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said this week on The Paul Finebaum Show. “So there’s a certain set of metrics that you’re going to have to be able to do in order to do that. And right now, just with the significance of the injury, it’s just taking a while for his body to get back into a place where he can run and move the way he needs to in order to play the game at the highest level, which is to be the best running back in college football.”
Mizzou is hosting Texas A&M on Saturday.
“We haven’t given up hope, but you know, it’s just taking a little bit longer than what the hope of our team would be,” Drinkwitz told Finebaum.
What Happened to Ahmad Hardy?
Hardy was shot in his upper leg while attending a concert in Laurel, Mississippi in May.
He needed surgery afterward. Reports indicated that the bullet had struck a bone, which required emergency surgery.
Ahmad Hardy Stats
Hardy put together an All-American season at Mizzou in 2025. He ran 256 times for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He had transferred to Missouri for the 2025 season. Hardy first starred at Louisiana-Monroe as a true freshman in 2024 — with 237 runs for 1,351 yards and 13 TDs.
Hardy only has 14 career catches through two college seasons. He’s a guy you’re just going to give the ball to run and let him do his thing.
Mizzou, and certainly Hardy, will be hoping that can still happen at some point this season.
How Long is Ahmad Hardy Out? Injury Update Comes for Mizzou RB After Gunshot Wound