Latest news with #AhmadHardy
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is a Cody Schrader record in sight for Ahmad Hardy? Previewing Missouri football running backs
One of the consistent truths of the Eli Drinkwitz era at Missouri football: The Tigers' run game has been in good hands. At least in preseason, there's good reason to believe that may be the case again in Columbia in 2025. Missouri loses more than 1,400 combined yards and 15 touchdowns after Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll graduated last season, but that shouldn't be too much of a cause for concern. One of the best Group of Five and freshman running backs from the 2024 college football season is now with Mizzou. Mizzou's season-opener for the 2025 campaign against Central Arkansas on Aug. 28 on Faurot Field is 40 days away as of Saturday, July 19. Fall camp is right around the corner, as the Tigers typically have players report to campus in Columbia over the final weekend of July. Here is how Missouri's running backs shape up heading into fall camp, including a projected (but not finalized) depth chart, the upside and possible questions for the room and some snippets of what the coaches said during the spring: Missouri football projected depth chart at running back Starters: Free: Ahmad Hardy, so. Primary rotation: Jamal Roberts, jr.; Marquise Davis, fr. Reserves: Tavorus Jones, r-jr.; Brendon Haygood, fr.; Anthony Favrow, sr. We expect Mizzou to primarily use three running backs throughout the 2025 season, with Hardy taking the bulk of the reps. Hardy, a UL-Monroe transfer, was one of four running backs in the FBS last season to register more than 1,000 yards after contact. The other three: No. 6-overall 2025 NFL Draft pick Ashton Jeanty at Boise State; No. 22-overall selection Omarion Hampton at North Carolina; and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson at Iowa. That's pretty good company. While at ULM as a rookie, Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns. Roberts, who head coach Eli Drinkwitz called 'Mr. Dependable' in the spring, should resume his role as the Tigers' change-of-pace back. He could operate similarly to the role Carroll played last season, taking on short-yardage and red-zone carries. If and when the Tigers turn to a third running back, the top candidate appears to be Davis — a true freshman who Mizzou flipped from Kentucky shortly before the national signing period last December. The upside How high should expectations be for Hardy? The fit is about all you can ask for. He has experience running the outside zone. He's one of the top returning tailbacks in the nation at bouncing off tackles. The lone self-assessed hole in his game is that he's trying to make tacklers miss and not 'just run through people.' Even down to recent history, the signs are good. Mizzou has consistently churned out excellent running backs under Eli Drinkwitz and position coach Curtis Luper, from Larry Rountree III to Tyler Badie to Cody Schrader, and even to Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll last season. The Tigers' scheme lends to big numbers in the run game. We could see the 2025 edition of MU being a heavily run-oriented offense. Schrader set the Tigers' single-season rushing record with 1,627 yards in 2023. That's a tall order, but there's enough evidence to suggest Hardy could flirt with the 100-yard mark on a game-by-game basis. It's on Hardy's mind, too, if you were wondering. 'I heard (Schrader) was a walk-on and he set records here,' Hardy said April 8. … 'I saw he had 1,600 yards, so I'm looking to try to beat that record.' Questions, concerns to answer It's not often that we can say this, but we don't really see any reason for concern in this room. We like just about every angle you can look at this crop of tailbacks from. Roberts, while he may not be an every-down back, is extremely reliable as a third-down and change-of-pace option. If you look at a picture of Davis, your first guess wouldn't be that you're looking at a true freshman. If we're going to really dig for a question, and this truly requires breaking out the shovel: Will the potential of a high-volume running quarterback take some carries away from the running backs? Beau Pribula, if he does go on to win the starting quarterback competition, is elite at pulling the ball down and going. You could squint and envision a setting where that costs the running backs some yards. As far as the talent level and upside of this running back room is concerned, though, it's mostly good news. Breakout candidate More: Missouri football's Eli Drinkwitz says QB Sam Horn will compete in 2025 despite MLB Draft pick More: Eli Drinkwitz SEC Media Days: Five key takeaways from Missouri football coach in Atlanta It's unclear what the snap share is going to look like between Missouri's running backs. Davis, for now, looks like he'll be the third option on the depth chart and could see some significant time as a freshman. 'Excellent runner,' Drinkwitz said April 8. 'A guy who is going to have an impact as a true freshman. We feel like he's going to be able to provide us with some added depth and explosiveness at the running back position.' This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Is Missouri football rushing record achievable for Ahmad Hardy?
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou's New RB Transfer Expected to Make Immediate Impact
Mizzou's New RB Transfer Expected to Make Immediate Impact originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Mizzou's newest addition to the backfield is already turning heads ahead of the 2025 season. Ahmad Hardy, a running back transfer from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, committed to the Tigers last December. He enters Columbia as the highest-graded returning SEC running back for 2025, according to Pro Football Focus. The Mississippi native was one of the most sought-after backs in the transfer portal, receiving interest from SEC programs like Ole Miss and Kentucky. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 6 running back in this year's transfer portal class. Advertisement Ultimately, Hardy said the decision to choose Missouri felt natural. 'I feel like Mizzou was home,' Hardy said. 'They were saying the right stuff, and the coaches and staff, they did their job. And the players, they welcomed me in.' The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back fills a critical need for the Tigers after the departures of Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, who combined for 1,413 rushing yards in 2024. Their production helped Mizzou to a 10-3 finish and a Music City Bowl win over Iowa. Running back Ahmad Hardy (22) runs the ball against the Auburn Tigers.© Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK Hardy, a sophomore, had a standout freshman season at ULM, rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns on 237 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Advertisement He earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Sun Belt honors, topping 100 rushing yards in eight of his 12 games and scoring in all but two. He also caught eight passes for 72 yards, showing his versatility out of the backfield. Perhaps most impressively, Hardy forced 94 missed tackles, the second-most in the nation behind All-American and Heisman contender Ashton Jeanty. Known for his tough, physical running style, Hardy is a natural fit for Missouri's wide-zone offensive scheme—one he already thrived in at ULM. 'We run outside zone like I did at my old school,' Hardy said. 'So I feel like I'm perfecting my craft." Advertisement Hardy is already emerging as one of Mizzou's most intriguing breakout candidates for the fall, and a name fans will want to keep an eye on. Related: Four-Star Sunshine State WR Announces Commitment to Mizzou Related: Missouri Tigers Crack Top 25 of ESPN's Power Index Rankings This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
