Eli Drinkwitz isn’t rushing Ahmad Hardy back, and for now, Mizzou is sticking with a patient approach.
Hardy remains sidelined as he continues recovering from a gunshot wound suffered in the offseason, and Drinkwitz made it clear there’s no set timetable for his return. The Tigers coach said the only real answer is to wait until Hardy is ready.
“When he’s ready, he’s ready, and our job as a team is to do the very best we can until he’s ready to go,” Drinkwitz said. “And if that’s in a couple weeks, great.
And if it’s not, it’s not. There’s nobody that can control it.”
In the meantime, Jamal Roberts has stepped into the lead role and handled it with ease. His breakout came in Week 5 against Florida, when he piled up a career-high 211 yards and three touchdowns, the first multi-score game of his career. He now has 606 rushing yards, which ranks second in the SEC and leaves him just seven behind Jadan Baugh, who was limited to 13 yards against the Tigers.
Roberts has given Mizzou exactly what it needs while Hardy works back, but Drinkwitz still wants Hardy in the mix when the time is right. That won’t be Saturday against Texas A&M in Week 6, and the coach said the process is simply taking time.
“When you’re trying to be the best running back in the country, and that’s what you were previously, it’s a lot of work and time to get back there, and his body’s just not ready yet,” Drinkwitz said.
“So he’s doing everything he can. Our medical staff is doing everything they can. And we all wish it was right now, but it’s not.”
In Other News...
Drinkwitz Leaves Mizzou Waiting On Freshmen Discipline Decision
Missouri is still waiting on a decision involving three freshmen who were arrested on first-degree harassment charges and released on bond, with Ahmod Billins, Karsten Fiene and Trashundon Neal all remaining on the roster. None of the three has played since the Tigers Week 1 game, and the situation has left their status in limbo as the program sorts through the next steps.
Eli Drinkwitz has acknowledged the matter and said the legal process will be allowed to play out before Missouri makes any team decisions. For now, the Tigers are keeping the focus on the process rather than rushing to a discipline ruling, which means the wait continues for three players whose football futures with the program are still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Freshman Lineman Faces A Frightening Health Crisis
Johnnie DJ Jones has quickly become one of the most important names around Missouri for all the wrong reasons. The freshman offensive lineman is dealing with a serious heart issue that was first noticed through initial observations and then confirmed with a second opinion, turning what began as a medical concern into something far more alarming for the Tigers program and everyone close to him.
Eli Drinkwitz said the team is rallying around Jones and his family with support and prayers as they face an incredibly difficult stretch. For Missouri, the immediate football picture has taken a back seat to Jones health, and the uncertainty hanging over a young players future is the kind of story that cuts far deeper than any game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Freshman Lineman Faces A Far More Important Fight Than Football
Missouris season has already had plenty of attention on the line of scrimmage, but freshman offensive tackle Johnnie Jones is dealing with something far bigger than football. The program said Jones underwent initial observation before further evaluation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., where doctors identified a significant heart issue. Coach Eli Drinkwitz disclosed the news during a press conference and said the Tigers are standing with Jones and his family through the process.
The update turns Joness immediate future into a medical fight, not a football one, and it leaves the focus on the care hes receiving away from the field. For Missouri, the concern is no longer about a young linemans development or where he might fit in the rotation, but about a player who is still at the clinic as the next steps in his treatment are sorted out. [Read more 🡒]