SEC Media Days kicked off on Monday down in Tampa, Florida. The four teams attending day one were the Oklahoma Sooners, Kentucky Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers, and Missouri Tigers.
The Tigers and head coach Eli Drinkwitz had one looming question to answer. What is the latest on Ahmad Hardy? The star running back was shot in the leg back in May of this year, while attending a rap concert that took place outdoors.
Not only was this disturbing on a human level, but for college football as well. Hardy is one of the most entertaining players in the country. In the 2025 season, Hardy totaled 256 carries for 1656 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
All three of those stat totals ranked top 6 in the country. Hardy, if healthy, is no doubt a top two RB in the SEC, along with Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy.
With Hardy’s status in question, Drinkwitz wasted no time updating the media and fans.
Eli Drinkwitz’s Update On Ahmad Hardy
Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz talks to his team during a timeout during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Before even being asked, Drinkwitz gave an update on Hardy. “The bullet did strike a bone in his body, and that’s been fully healed and clear.”
This was the most important news of the day, but Drinkwitz continued. “Today was his first day back to a full recovery.”
There’s still no exact timeline on the recovery process and when we’ll see Hardy back on the field. The expectation is sometime early in the season.
Any positive news at all is a welcome sight in a situation like this. The fact that Hardy is going to return at all after being shot in the leg is not only improbable but inspiring.
On a football note, Hardy makes this Missouri offense dangerous. All the question marks of this new-look offense are around Hardy. Most notably, what the Tigers can get out of Ole Miss transfer QB Austin Simmons.
