This offseason, the Mizzou Tigers’ season and world nearly came to an end after star running back Ahmad Hardy, arguably the best in college football, survived being sh-t. Fortunately, Hardy is stable and recovering well. While fans anxiously awaited updates on his condition, Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz shared news regarding his potential return!

“(Ahmad Hardy)’s doing everything we can ask him to do, but just not going to be able to be ready for the first game,” the Tigers’ head coach said, per SEC Mike on X. “We’re going to do the very best by him and his team and our medical team. Just feel like right now it’s in his best interest to hold off.”

It’s definitely a bummer for fans that Hardy will miss the big opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on September 3. But it’s not all bad news. According to reports, word around Columbia is that the Tigers are targeting a comeback around mid-September.

However, Drinkwitz made it clear that they aren’t going to rush anything or give false hope. The head coach doubled down on the fact that they will focus 100% on Hardy’s long-term health.

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This whole mess started back on May 10, after a scary offseason incident in which Hardy was shot in his upper leg while leaving a concert at a biker club in Laurel, Mississippi.

The bullet actually hit his femur, which meant he had to rush into emergency surgery right away to get things fixed up. Thankfully, the doctors say his bone is now completely healed and solid as a rock. Still, Drinkwitz let it slip that before SEC Media Days in July, Hardy hadn’t even lifted weights or put any real stress on his left side.

Right now, Hardy is grinding through a super strict return-to-play protocol with the Missouri Tigers training staff to get back into game shape. Even though he was technically “medically cleared” over a month ago, that just meant his bone was strong enough to start basic rehab, not that he was ready to start truckin’ defenders.

He is currently allowed to do morning rehab sessions and hang out during team walkthroughs so he can keep his playbook knowledge sharp. However, the coaches are keeping him on the sidelines during regular practices.

Coach Drinkwitz also explained that they aren’t setting a permanent, unchangeable date for when Hardy will actually play a real game. He said Hardy needs a “full two-week ramp-up period of practice” at 100% speed before the medical team will even dream of letting him suit up on Saturdays.

Losing a guy like Hardy for even a couple of weeks is a massive hurdle for the Missouri offense, especially since the Tigers are entering the season ranked No. 25 in the country. Last year, he totally tore up college football, leading the SEC with an insane 1,649 rushing yards and scoring 16 touchdowns after transferring over from Louisiana-Monroe.

He finished the season as the second-best rusher in the entire nation, snagged first-team All-American honors, and put himself on the radar as a projected first-round NFL Draft pick.

With their star player on the shelf for a bit, the Tigers are putting all their faith in proven star Jamal Roberts.

Jamal Roberts to carry the Tigers?

Jamal Roberts is next in line to take over the primary running back duties. The senior RB is a total stud in his own right, and his teammates respect him so much that they voted him a team captain. He racked up 753 yards and six touchdowns as the backup last year.

Heading into this season, the majority of analysts had Hardy and Roberts ranked as the best RB duo in the country. Truth be told, Roberts is arguably better than the majority of Powerhouse programs’ RB1s.

The Tigers are also planning to mix in transfers Malae Fonoti and Xai’Shaun Edwards to keep the backfield fresh and defenses guessing.

The entire locker room has Hardy’s back while he crushes his daily rehab to get back to 100% strength. Looking at the calendar, it looks like he will miss the opener and the massive Border War rivalry game against Kansas on September 11.

But if everything stays on track and he gets those two weeks of full practice under his belt, fans might see him back in uniform for the Troy game on September 19, or right in time for the SEC opener at Mississippi State on September 26.