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Columbia Daily Tribune
Missouri lands ULM rookie Ahmad Hardy. Here’s how that changes Mizzou’s RB room
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- Missouri lands ULM rookie Ahmad Hardy. Here’s how that changes Mizzou’s RB room
One rookie running back leaves, another rookie running back arrives.
Missouri football secured a commitment from Louisiana Monroe freshman running back Ahmad Hardy on Wednesday evening, two days after the Tigers lost their own freshman tailback Kewan Lacy to Ole Miss.
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Hardy, who was the Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year this season, announced his commitment to Mizzou with a post to his personal X account.
According to the recruiting service 247Sports' rankings, Hardy was the fourth-best running back and the No. 55-ranked overall player available in the portal. He is the sixth player to commit to Mizzou out of the portal in the December window, and the fifth player since Monday.
More: Missouri football live transfer portal news: Tracking who joins, leaves Mizzou in portal
More: 'Who's in charge of college football?': Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz talks transfer portal, turnover
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Mizzou has also secured commitments from Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman, Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor, West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter, Northern Illinois safety Santana Banner and Northwest Missouri State defensive end Langden Kitchen.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie en route to a first-team All-Sun Belt nod. He played his high school football at Lawrence County High in Monticello, Mississippi, and committed to ULM as a three-star prospect on 247Sports.
Sep 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Louisiana Monroe Warhawks running back Ahmad Hardy (22) runs the ball in the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Mizzou entered this transfer portal window not necessarily needing a running back, even though starters Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll will each run out of eligibility at the end of the season.
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Then, on Monday, Lacy announced he was entering the transfer portal and quickly committed to in-conference rival Ole Miss . Lacy was widely assumed to be on track for a major role in MU's 2025 offense alongside St. Louis native and rising redshirt sophomore Jamal Roberts. Suddenly, that changed.
That put the Tigers in an instant bind.
Eli Drinkwitz's squad found a near-instant solution.
Hardy's tape shows an ability for a quick change of direction and some good long speed, which should suit the Tigers' outside zone and stretch play. He has quick acceleration to the edge and a demonstrated ability to shake off contact, which should make him a candidate to be an instant-plug replacement for Noel as an every-down back.
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The freshman broke off a run of 20 or more yards in nine different games in 2024, with his season long checking in at 80 yards in a matchup against Marshall. He found the end zone in 10 different games.
In addition to Roberts, who now has the most in-game experience in MU's running back room, the Tigers also are able to return backups Tavorus Jones and Austyn Dendy. They will add Class of 2025 signees Marquise Davis and Brendon Haygood to the roster next season, too.
Army transfer running back Kanye Udoh also is visiting Mizzou this week, per a post to his X account. It's unclear whether Hardy's commitment changes whether or not MU will continue to recruit Udoh.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri lands ULM running back Ahmad Hardy. How that impacts MU's offense
