Ahmad Hardy was left off Missouri’s initial availability report Wednesday night, a noteworthy sign ahead of Saturday’s road trip to Arkansas and another step in his return from a gunshot wound he suffered in May.
The No. 23 Tigers will face the Razorbacks on Saturday night at 6:45 p.m.
CT on SEC Network, and Hardy’s name not appearing on the report suggests he is in position to play. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, though, made it clear Tuesday that the final call still won’t happen without input from Hardy, the coaching staff and the medical team.
Hardy has been back at full practice this week, the biggest update yet in his recovery. Drinkwitz said on his “Tiger Talk” radio show Tuesday night that Hardy looked good on consecutive days.
"He practiced (Monday). I would say it was a good day," Drinkwitz said during his 'Tiger Talk' radio show Tuesday night.
"But the trick was, how does his body respond? Can he do it in back to back days?
I'm happy to report, he practiced again (Tuesday), and I thought it went well."
Still, Drinkwitz emphasized that Missouri is taking this step by step.
"It's really been -- and I know it's frustrating for our fans, our team, and Ahmad -- but there's not a lot of literature on how this return-to-play protocol worked," Drinkwitz continued on Tiger Talk. "We had things come up that we weren't anticipating that we've had to find solutions for … we finally got to the point where, let's seem him practice.
"There's just so much we don't know … he's had some different pains that we've had to work through and find solutions to. There's just a lot of things. Everybody wants a timeline, and I don't have a timeline.
"We're doing the best we can every single day to help this young man. That's the most important thing.
When it's time, it's time. Might be this week, might be next week, might be December.
We just don't know."
Missouri enters the game 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play. Arkansas is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the league, and both teams were off last week.
The Tigers’ Wednesday night report included just three players: RB Malae Fonoti, OUT; TE Gavin Hoffman, OUT; and OL Josh Atkins, OUT.
Arkansas listed RB Braylen Russell, TE Jaden Platt and DL Caleb Bell as probable. WR Chris Marshall was questionable, while DB Braydon Lee, TE Maddox Lassiter, OL Caden Kitler and TE Gavin Garretson were all out.
The next SEC availability report is due Thursday evening.
The conference began requiring public availability reports in 2024. SEC schools must submit them three days before each football game, then provide daily updates and a final report 90 minutes before kickoff. Before game day, players are labeled available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out; on game day, the designations narrow to available, game time decision or out.
Penalties for late or inaccurate reports can reach $25,000 to $100,000 in football and up to $15,000 to $25,000 in basketball and baseball.
In Other News...
Mizzous First Arkansas Injury Report Leaves One Road Concern Unsettled
The SECs first injury report for Missouris trip to Arkansas offered a little clarity and one notable dose of uncertainty for the Tigers. Three Missouri players were listed as out, and the biggest item on the report for the road team centered on Ahmad Hardy, whose status remains unsettled heading into Saturday. For a Mizzou roster that has already dealt with its share of moving pieces, the report at least gave a baseline for the week, even if it did not answer every question.
Arkansas has its own injury concerns to sort through, with four players out and three listed as probable, while leading receiver Chris Marshall was tagged questionable. The availability side of the matchup matters here because this is the kind of SEC game where both teams want every edge they can find, especially in the final hours before kickoff. And beyond the injury list, Missouri still has other roster-related issues in the background, including the temporary restraining order extension tied to CJ Gunns eligibility, leaving one more layer of uncertainty hanging over a week already full of it. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Just Got An Ahmad Hardy Twist Fans Have Waited On
Missouri got a small but notable lift on the availability front heading into its matchup with Arkansas, with running back Ahmad Hardy moving from out to unlisted on the SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report. The update means Hardy is technically in play for the Tigers, and it comes after head coach Eli Drinkwitz said the back has returned to practice even though the staff still has no firm timetable for when he will be back on the field.
For a Missouri offense that has been watching its injury report closely, the Hardy update stands out even with three Tigers still listed out. Arkansas has plenty to monitor on its own side, with eight players on the report and wideout Chris Marshall listed as questionable, but Missouris bigger storyline may be whether Hardys return is close enough to matter on game day. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Gets One Last Chance To Clean Things Up Before Opening Night
The preseason tune-up slate across college basketball continues Thursday, Oct. 29, with eight exhibition games scheduled around the country, and there is a little something extra for Missouri fans to watch in one of the more notable matchups. Missouri gets UNLV, which now features former Tiger Sebastian Mack, while programs like Boise State and Northern Iowa also take the floor as coaches look for one more clear read on their rosters before the games start counting for real.
Auburn, meanwhile, closes out its exhibition calendar against Samford with one final chance to smooth out the rough edges before opening night. For a team still sorting through early-season rhythms, these dress rehearsals matter because they offer one last live look at lineups, rotations and conditioning before the spotlight gets brighter and the margin for fixing mistakes disappears. [Read more 🡒]