'It's Every Week Now:' Ahmad Hardy Sustains Success for Mizzou

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy has been a huge contributor to the team, and that trend continued against South Carolina.

Sept 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy rushes in the fourth quarter against South Carolina. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

COLUMBIA, Mo. — One of Missouri’s most reliable players this season has been running back Ahmad Hardy. The sophomore has impressed time and time again, cementing his spot as one of the top running backs in the Southeastern Conference.

Hardy, a transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, may be new to the conference, but he’s playing like he belongs. He demonstrated his tackle-breaking talent in the Tigers' 29-20 win over South Carolina on Saturday.

It was the first time Hardy faced an SEC opponent as a Missouri Tiger. It wasn't easy, but in a back-and-forth battle, the Tigers prevailed. As has been the case all year, Hardy was a large reason why. In the victory, Hardy cracked 100 rushing yards for the fourth time this year. He notched 22 carries for 138 yards with one touchdown.

Expectations were high for Hardy entering the season, especially with the history of high-powered running backs at Missouri. So far, Hardy has exceeded the expectations of his players, coaches and those outside of the team.

"I didn't think he was gonna be this good," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said after the win. "The dude's running through people like he's a dump truck. I mean, he's a Clydesdale amongst a bunch of Fillies. It's unbelievable."

It wasn’t quite like last week’s showing, where Hardy recorded 250 yards on the ground in a career day against Louisiana, but it was an impactful performance nonetheless. One of the best plays of the night was Hardy's lone touchdown.

The Tigers were trailing 17-12 with 5:56 left in the third quarter when Hardy was dished the ball. Nearly instantly, he plowed into a mix of teammates and defenders. One defender grabbed him, lifting him off the ground temporarily. Hardy somehow found his footing and turned the play into a touchdown.

"How he scored on the one run (where) he left his feet, came back, and had balance and scored," Drinkwitz said. "I had never seen that on tape before, so the dude's special."

Evading tackles is nothing new for Hardy, who leads the country in forced missed tackles. That was evidently the case again while taking on the Gamecocks, making tackling him for South Carolina defenders nothing short of challenging.

"It's every week now," quarterback Beau Pribula said. "I'll never be mad when Ahmad (Hardy) runs for 100 yards each week."

Hardy's teammates recognize and praise his talent, but it goes both ways. It would be impossible for Hardy to have the success he does without a sturdy offensive line.

The line has actually been a weaker part of the team, and things looked bleak when it was announced that Missouri left guard Cayden Green was ruled out against South Carolina. Filling Green’s spot was Jayven Richardson, a former JUCO transfer. 

Richardson and the line looked good against the Gamecocks, making Hardy's job easier.

"(The line) did everything it needed to do," Hardy said. "With Cayden (Green) out, we had a guy step up. He did his job, and the rest of the guys did what they were supposed to do."

Hardy and the Tigers will look to advance to 5-0 when they host UMass for homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 in Columbia.