Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy cleared to return to practice after May gunshot wound

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy's return to the field appears closer and closer.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz announced Sunday that Hardy is set to return to practice. He's missed the entirety of the 2026 season so far after he was wounded in a shooting in his home state of Mississippi in May.

Hardy was shot in the leg while attending a concert and immediately underwent surgery. Four days after Hardy was shot, a suspect was arrested in Kentucky and charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault.

The junior emerged as one of the best running backs in college football in 2025 in his first year with the Tigers. Hardy rushed 256 times for 1,649 yards and 16 scores in 2025 and was named a first-team All-American as Missouri went 8-5. Hardy was second in the nation in rushing yardage, just 10 yards behind current West Virginia running back Cam Cook.

With Hardy sidelined, Jamal Roberts has been the No. 23 Tigers' No. 1 back in 2026. And he, too, has been one of the nation's best rushers. Roberts had 124 carries for 753 yards and six scores a year ago and has already surpassed those totals through seven games in 2026.

Roberts has 167 carries for 867 yards and eight scores already this season. He ranks seventh in the nation in rushing yardage.

No timetable was given for Hardy's return to the field and Drinkwitz noted that Mizzou's medical team would determine when he can take the field. The Tigers were off in Week 8 and play Arkansas on Halloween before No. 11 Texas comes to Columbia.

If Hardy is able to play — and play effectively — the Tigers could again have one of the best running back duos in the country. Missouri likely needs to run the table to have a realistic shot at making the College Football Playoff and has games against No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky and Oklahoma after hosting the Longhorns.