College Football3 hours ago2 minute read

Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy Returning To Practice This Week

Missouri star running back Ahmad Hardy is returning to practice for the first time since being shot in May.

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Back on the practice field

Missouri star running back Ahmad Hardy is returning to practice this week. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced the major development in Hardy's recovery on social media on Sunday afternoon.

Hardy has not played at all this season after he was shot while attending a concert in Mississippi back in May. The junior running back had an incredible year last season, rushing for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns while earning consensus All America honors.

Recovery process and team depth

Drinkwitz shared the update directly from the team doctors in his post. He wrote, "After consulting with our medical team, Ahmad Hardy will return to practice this week. Our medical staff will determine his return to game action."

Drinkwitz had previously explained the timeline required for Hardy to play, saying he needs a two week period where Hardy is fully invested and able to practice at full speed before considering him for a game. At SEC media days in July, Drinkwitz told reporters that Hardy had been medically cleared from the bullet that hit him, stating that it was his first day back to a full recovery. However, it turned out to be a long process with very few updates from Drinkwitz until Sunday.

Missouri had last week off and currently holds a 5-2 record, with both losses coming in SEC play. In Hardy's absence, Jamal Roberts stepped into a starting role and thrived, leading the SEC in rushing yards per game with 123.86.

What lies ahead for Missouri

Missouri travels to play at Arkansas on Saturday. Following that game, the Tigers face a challenging three game stretch against ranked opponents. They will play at home against No. 11 Texas, head on the road to face No. 3 Georgia, and then return home to host No. 9 Kentucky.

Getting Hardy back on the practice field is a welcome sign for Missouri as the team prepares for this difficult run of games.

What it means for the next game

Missouri Tigers at Arkansas Razorbacks (College Football, Sat, 31 Oct): Arkansas Razorbacks win 24%, Missouri Tigers win 76%; projected score Arkansas Razorbacks 20, Missouri Tigers 29. Our safest pick: Missouri to win.