Ahmad Hardy was shot in the leg back in May and was sidelined for the Missouri Tigers‘ first seven games of the season. However, this week good news came out of Columbia, Missouri, as head coach Eli Drinkwitz updated fans on his star running back.
“After consulting with our medical team, Ahmad Hardy will return to practice this week,” Drinkwitz posted on X. “Our medical staff will determine his return to game action.”
This comes a couple of weeks after Drinkwitz told the media that he would provide the update himself when there was one. After rumors flurried online, there was hope Hardy was going to be returning before Drinkwitz shut down the rumors. Hardy is back to practice now, and that will give Mizzou a shot of energy for their final five games of the season.
Mizzou Receives Major Boost For Daunting November
Drinkwitz mentioned previously in updates on Hardy that he would need a two-week ramp-up period before returning to Saturdays. Despite being cleared for practice this week, all likelihoods point to Texas being Hardy’s first game of the season.
Missouri finishes October with a trip to Arkansas, a matchup the Tigers have won four years running. After that, the schedule gets relentless.
Three current top-12 teams are on the Missouri schedule in the final month. Starting with Texas, which could be Hardy’s first game. Followed by a trip to Athens to square off with Georgia. Then an upstart Kentucky team heads to Farout Field before the Tigers finish the season with old Big 8 foe Oklahoma.
The schedule is not only difficult, but particularly brutal for the Tigers in the final month of the season.
Ahmad Hardy Provides Boost To Mizzou Rushing Attack
Hardy’s return to the Tigers’ backfield will jolt the Missouri run game. The only question is how much. Hardy was an All-American and a Doak Walker finalist last season, but returning from a gunshot wound is not going to be an easy task. Hardy was cleared for his return-to-football protocol on July 20, but it took three months for him to be able to get on the practice field.
Missouri’s rushing attack was eighth in the nation last season, and the best in the Southeastern Conference. Currently, the Tigers are ninth in the conference and No. 63 in the country in rushing yards per game.
Outside of Jamal Roberts, who has broken out on his own, the Tigers’ running backs were injured and ineffective. Missouri lost Malae Fonoti to an ACL tear in Week 1, and Xai’Shaun Edwards has just 33 snaps over the last four weeks. It’s Roberts’ room, but getting their two-headed monster back should boost the Tigers’ attack.
Hardy’s return should boost the offense, and the excitement as the Tigers prepare for a final push toward the College Football Playoff. Their road is not easy, but neither was Hardy’s to get back on the field.
Mizzou Ahmad Hardy Returning To Practice After Bye Week