Mizzou got two very different injury updates on Tuesday morning, and the contrast could hardly have been sharper.
On one side, there’s Cayden Green, the left tackle who missed the season-opening win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff because of an undisclosed injury. On the other, there’s Ahmad Hardy, the star running back whose return remains up in the air as Missouri prepares for Friday night’s Border War showdown with Kansas.
ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported that Green practiced with the team on Monday and is “on track to play against Kansas on Friday night, barring any setbacks,” according to his social media post.
That’s a major lift for Missouri’s offensive front. Green was a first-team All-SEC performer last season and entered this year as a preseason All-SEC pick, so his status has been one of the biggest questions hanging over the Tigers heading into Lawrence.
Hardy’s update was far less encouraging. Thamel reported that the running back “still hasn’t practiced for the Tigers and his return timeline remains uncertain.”
Hardy is working his way back after suffering a gunshot wound in the offseason. The Tigers are still waiting to get him back on the field after he put together a huge 2025 season, rushing for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns.
For Missouri, the early-season injury picture remains a real issue even after the blowout win to open the year. The Green news points toward help arriving soon, but Hardy’s situation still leaves plenty unresolved as the Tigers head into one of their biggest games of the early season.
In Other News...
Missouri Heads To Kansas With More Than Rivalry Bragging Rights
Kansas and No. 23 Missouri will renew their historic football rivalry in Lawrence, giving the matchup a little extra edge beyond the usual early-season measuring stick. Both teams arrive off opening-week wins, and coaches Lance Leipold and Eli Drinkwitz have each framed the game through the lens of preparation, poise and what this rivalry still means in a landscape where so few old border battles remain on the calendar.
For Missouri, there is also the practical matter of getting healthier up front, with left tackle Cayden Green possibly back from injury for the trip. The long pause in the series only adds to the stakes, because unless the teams cross paths in the College Football Playoff, they will not see each other again until the 2031 and 2032 seasons, making this one of those rare games where history, timing and timing again all seem to matter at once. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Faces A Border War Test That Could Swing On One Matchup
The Border War is back on the calendar, and Missouri heads into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium knowing this one has the feel of more than just an early-season measuring stick. Kansas brings an offense shaped by coordinator Andy Kotelnicki that has been built to push the pace and stress defenses, while the Tigers are preparing for the kind of game where one clean matchup or one busted assignment can change the tone fast. Add in the rivalry history and the buzz around both young quarterbacks, and the setup is exactly what you would expect when these two get together.
For Missouri, the challenge is not simply matching intensity but handling the swings that come with a game like this on the road. The atmosphere should be lively, the stakes feel bigger than a normal nonconference date, and Foxs broadcast slot only adds to the spotlight. The quarterback play on both sides is part of what makes it intriguing, but the real question is whether Missouri can manage the one area that could tilt everything before the night is over. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem At The Worst Time
Missouris backfield was already thin, and now it has been hit hard before the season has really had a chance to settle in. Running back Malae Fonoti is done for the year after suffering a non-contact ACL tear in the season opener, and head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Fonoti will undergo surgery. It is the kind of early setback that can ripple through an offense quickly, especially for a team trying to establish depth behind its top options.
The concern does not stop there, either. Backup Ahmad Hardy remains unavailable while he recovers from a gunshot wound, which leaves Xai'Shaun Edwards in line as the likely No. 2 back behind Jamal Roberts. For Missouri, that makes every snap in the run game feel a little more fragile, and it puts added pressure on the players still standing to absorb a workload the Tigers were not planning on this soon. [Read more 🡒]