Three Missouri Players To Watch On Saturday In The Tayslayer Gator Bowl

Virginia is preparing for its final game of the regular season against the Missouri Tigers. To close the season on a high note, they will have to slow down these key players on Saturday.

1. RB Ahmad Hardy

latest — Nov 15, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Ahmad Hardy is one of the best running backs in the nation and finished No.2 in the country with 1,650 yards rushing in 2025. He also added 16 rushing touchdowns. The young running back had seven games with at least 100 rushing yards. His best game came against Mississippi State where he ran for a career-high 300 rushing yards and added three rushing touchdowns. Hardy was special this season for Missouri, and a reason why the offense played at such a high level. He finished with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 91.8. He had 40 runs of 10+ yards this past season. He also posted nearly a 50% breakaway percentage whenever he touched the ball in 2025. That means the likelihood he was going to break away on a run whenever he touched the ball was nearly half of his carries. His percentage was 47.7%. Hardy is elite, and the Tigers wasted no time re-signing him for the 2026 season. Virginia will have to be ready to slow him down in the Gator Bowl.

2. QB Matt Zollers

Beau Pribula decided to enter his name into the transfer portal, which now opens up the door for the Tigers to turn to their true freshman phenom at quarterback in Matt Zollers. Coming out of high school, Zollers was a four-star prospect. In the time that Pribula missed, Zollers threw from 402 yards and four touchdowns. His best game against Vanderbilt in a close 17-10 loss, Zollers threw for 138 yards and a touchdown. He has shown the potential he has as a starting quarterback. This is a great audition for Zollers, who looks to continue to prove himself against an elite defense and lead the Tigers to a four-win season. His performance will be a large factor in determining who the starter for Missouri will be in 2026, and if they will go to get a guy in the transfer portal.

3. LB Josiah Trotter

Trotter is the son of former NFL great and Philadelphia Eagle Jeremiah Trotter. Josiah is elite in his own way and came over from West Virginia this past offseason from West Virginia after winning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. In his first year with Missouri, Trotter led the Tigers in tackles with 84. He also added two sacks and a pass defensed. Why he is a player to watch? Trotter is an exceptional run-stopping linebacker who fills the A and B gaps. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he finished with a 90.7 run defense grade and an 81.6 tackling grade. He is also really good at rushing the passer, posting an 81.6 pass rush grade. Trotter is nearly a complete linebacker and does practically everything at a high level. With Virginia liking to run the ball with J’Mari Taylor, they will have to block Trotter and get a hat on him if they don’t want him to disrupt the game.

More Virginia Football News:

•Virginia’s GM Tyler Jones Shares Insight Into Status of Chandler Morris For 2026 Season

•Three UVA Players Who Could Raise Their Draft Stock With Strong Bowl Performances

•What Virginia Can Expect From Missouri With Matt Zollers at Quarterback

•Biggest Surprises and Disappointments from Virginia's 2025 Transfer Portal Class