Ahmad Hardy is expected to return this weekend for the No. 23 Missouri Tigers game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
The former All-American will be making his season debut after being shot in May. According to Thamel, he will not start, but will receive a "handful of carries" after returning to practice this week.
Hardy was arguably the best running back in the country last season, leading the SEC with 1,649 rushing yards. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and finished second in the conference with 16 rushing touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder was named a consensus All-American and to the All-SEC First Team.
The Tigers have gone 5-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play this season without him. Jamal Roberts has
stepped up in his absence and leads the SEC with 123.9 rushing yards per game. He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry and has eight touchdowns.
Missouri will have a tough stretch of games to end the season after they play Arkansas on Saturday. They will play the No. 11 Texas Longhorns, No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, and No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats before ending the season against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Sources: Missouri All-American RB Ahmad Hardy will make his season debut this weekend at Arkansas. He’s not going to start, but he’s expected to get a handful of carries for Missouri. Hardy returned to practice this week after dealing with the injury complications of being struck… pic.twitter.com/IMyao2MWd2
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 29, 2026
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy to make return vs. Arkansas
