MISSOURI RUNNING BACK AHMAD HARDY TO RESUME PRACTICE

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy will return to practice this week after suffering a gunshot wound to his upper leg in May, coach Eli Drinkwitz said on Sunday. “After consulting with our medical team, Ahmad Hardy will return to practice this week,” Drinkwitz said. “Our medical staff will determine his return to game action.” Hardy suffered the wound during a concert and has spent more than five months away from team practice. Drinkwitz made the announcement ahead of Missouri’s Week 9 game at Arkansas.

Drinkwitz has said he wants Hardy to complete two weeks of full-speed practice before he would feel comfortable playing him in a game. Hardy joined Missouri from Louisiana-Monroe after a reported 1,351 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns there in 2024. His reported 1,649 rushing yards for Missouri in 2025 led the Southeastern Conference and ranked second nationally. Before the injury, observers considered him a possible Heisman Trophy candidate and a potential first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Missouri’s schedule includes a home game against Texas on 7 November at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. The timetable Drinkwitz has described could allow Hardy to return for that game, but Missouri has announced no date for his return to match action. In Hardy’s absence, Jamal Roberts has recorded a reported 867 rushing yards this season. That total ranks second in the Southeastern Conference and seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to the cited season figures.