Missouri's Ahmad Hardy returns to Columbia after shooting, begins rehab for 2026 season
Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy was shot in the leg in Mississippi in the early morning hours on May 10. The star player has since returned to Columbia, Mo., after undergoing surgery, and he is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Hardy’s playing status for the 2026 season remains up in the air. But he’s doing what he can to get right. And on Wednesday, he shared a message with the fans.
“Hey everyone, I’m back in Columbia, starting the road to my rehab,” Hardy said on a short video posted on social media. “I want to thank everybody for all the support and all of y’all prayers. Thank everybody for everything, and I’m back to the road to success.”
Ahmad Hardy initially sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg early in the morning on May 10 while at a concert in Mississippi. On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low reported that a day later that he had undergone successful surgery to address the injury.
The shooting, which occurred at Kamakazie Biker Club on Masonite Drive in Laurel, Miss., quickly drew the attention of the college football world. Hardy is one of the nation’s best backs.
He rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. In the last two years alone, he has piled up 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground.
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The question as to whether Ahmad Hardy will be able to play this fall remains up in the air, though. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz shared that uncertainty as far as the recovery goes while speaking two days after the shooting.
“The timetable for that recovery is not determined,” he said. “We’ll take it day by day. He will get back healthy. You know, when you’re dealing with elite athletes, right, getting back healthy, getting back to elite status is always a little bit tricky in some of these situations.”
Ahmad Hardy, who originally suited up for Louisiana-Monroe in 2024 before transferring to Missouri, will continue to rehab from his injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to action this season.
“There is an opportunity that he’ll be back this year,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s an opportunity he couldn’t be back this year. We won’t know those answers for a few weeks. But he’s got the full support of MU Healthcare and he’s got the full support of our team as we continue to help him recover and work it day by day.”