Ahmad Hardy discharged from hospital; return up in air after shooting

The good news for the Missouri Tigers is that star running back Ahmad Hardy appears to be okay following a scary situation this weekend, where he was shot in the leg at a concert and landed in the hospital. The bad news is that there is still some uncertainty about when he will be able to return to the field for football activities as he continues to recover from the injury.

On Tuesday, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz spoke to the media about the situation, noting first and foremost that Hardy is on the road to recovery and has been discharged from the hospital.

The next step is unclear, though.

"The timetable for that recovery is not determined," Drinkwitz said. "We'll take it day-by-day. He will get back healthy."

Missouri fans are obviously hoping that he can come back this season, returning as the leading rusher in the SEC for what is expected to be his final year of college football. In 2025, Hardy had 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns, bursting onto the scene after a freshman year at Louisiana-Monroe, where he rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns. Going into 2026, Hardy was projected to be one of the top players in the conference once again.

"When you're dealing with elite athletes getting back healthy and getting back to elite status, it's always a little bit tricky in some of these situations," Drinkwitz said. "There is an opportunity that he could be back this year, there's an opportunity he couldn't be back this year."

This early in the recovery, Drinkwitz is understandably leaving the door open for multiple outcomes as they continue to assess things and try to figure out the right course of action that will keep Hardy healthy for the long run, not just focusing on this season.

Over the next few weeks, we will likely learn more about how quickly the star RB can get back on the field.

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