Ahmad Hardy to make season-debut for Missouri with bullet still lodged in upper leg

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy will make his long-awaited return to the gridiron this Saturday against Arkansas. Hardy, who was named First Team All-SEC and a Consensus All-American last year, has not played this season after suffering a gunshot wound this offseason. Hardy was shot in the upper leg at a concert in Mississippi in May, and underwent successful surgery in the aftermath. The Laurel (Mississippi) Leader-Call reported the shooting occurred at the Kamakazie Biker Club in Laurel, Miss. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ESPN’s Marty Smith revealed on Friday that Hardy will return to the field with that very bullet still lodged in his upper leg. Instead of attempting to remove the bullet, doctors figured they would be better off leaving it inside the superstar running back. “The bullet that shattered the tip of Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy‘s left femur remains lodged in his body, Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz told me,” Smith wrote on X/Twitter Friday afternoon. “Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz confirmed that a stabilizing rod was inserted in Hardy’s femur. Drinkwitz told me Friday it’s also not just physical rehab that has challenged Hardy, it’s mental rehab, too. “Hardy has struggled, Drinkwitz said, with questions of whether he’ll be the same player he was. The pressure of performance is a mental battle. Mizzou expects Hardy to help alleviate some of the rushing load from Jamal Roberts. But their expectations are tempered.” Ahmad Hardy will make long-awaited season debut against Arkansas Ahmad Hardy was one of the biggest breakout superstars of the 2025 college football season. The Louisiana-Monroe transfer led all P4 programs in rushing yards (1,649 yards), and totaled 15 touchdowns. He was projected to enter the 2026 season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and was lauded as one of the top offensive players in the 2027 NFL Draft. He now returns to the program with the Tigers sitting at 5-2 (2-2) on the season, ranked No. 23 in the country. Running back Jamal Roberts has more than picked up the slack in Hardy’s absence, however. Roberts’ 867 rushing yards this season rank ninth-most in the country. “After consulting with our medical team, Ahmad Hardy will return to practice this week,” Drinkwitz said in a social media post on Sunday. “Our medical staff will determine his return to game action.” With five games remaining, it would take a strong end to the season for Missouri to have a shot at sneaking into the College Football Playoff. This would likely include having to rack up wins over the likes of No. 9 Kentucky, No. 11 Texas, and No. 3 Georgia, along with winning games against Arkansas and Oklahoma. While unlikely, the re-addition of Hardy will surely have a strong impact on Missouri‘s offense.