Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters at SEC Media Days last month that running back Ahmad Hardy had been “medically cleared” from the gunshot wound he suffered this offseason at a concert in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. That said, Drinkwitz qualified that statement by noting that Hardy’s return-to-play timeline could take five to eight weeks.
Close to five weeks later, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Saturday night that Hardy won’t be available for the No. 25 Tigers at the start of the season and that he still hasn’t practiced.
Missouri, which opens with games against FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 3 and Kansas on Sept. 11, is reportedly targeting a mid-September return for Hardy, the nation’s second-leading rusher in 2025.
Sources: Missouri star running back Ahmad Hardy will not be available for the start of the season, as he still hasn’t practiced for the Tigers. The target for his return is mid-September, as he continues to rehab and recover from his gun shot wound. pic.twitter.com/4kx6IA9mwC
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 22, 2026
Last season, Hardy piled up 1,649 yards on the ground as a sophomore, trailing only Jacksonville State’s Cam Cook (1,659 rushing yards) in that category.
This story is being updated.
