Overview
- Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters Tuesday that there is “no update” and that Hardy “hasn't began a two-week ramp up” despite recent internet speculation.
- Hardy was shot in the upper leg in May and was medically cleared in July but has not returned to team practice or appeared in a 2026 game.
- Jamal Roberts has taken over the lead role in the backfield, producing consecutive 200-plus-yard games and helping Missouri reach a 5-1 record and a top-15 ranking.
- Reporters note Hardy would need a two-week practice ramp-up to be game-ready, a window that would affect his availability for the Tigers’ near-term schedule including a possible target of the Arkansas game.
- Drinkwitz pushed back on social-media rumors, said he will announce any update himself, and Missouri must balance Roberts’ hot streak with planning for several high-quality SEC opponents ahead.