Missouri received the best possible news when star running back Ahmad Hardy decided to return to Columbia. But after rushing for 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, there was no guarantee he would be back with the Tigers in 2026. Now, he reveals, there was no shortage of schools trying to lure him away.
In an interview with On3 Sports, Hardy revealed that he had of plenty of programs sniffing around, despite the fact that he never actually entered the portal.
“I won’t spread any names out there or anything, but it was a lot of schools from a lot of different conferences,” Hardy told On3. “The head coaches aren’t the ones calling, but the first thing that happens is someone from that school starts following you on Instagram. Then you hear from somebody on their staff or their position coach. You’re not gonna talk to the head coach until you get in the portal.
“But it didn’t matter, because I was never going to get into the portal.”
Ahmad Hardy could become a Missouri legend and slamming the door on potential suitors
Hardy will return to the Tigers as one of the best running backs in the country in a newly rebuilt offense that features transfer quarterback Austin Simmons. And while he could have presumably received quite the pay raise had he entered the portal, Hardy decided to stay put and finish what he started in CoMO.
Not only did Hardy spurn the portal, but so too did his running mate Jamal Roberts, who also could have had his pick of any number of starting jobs elsewhere in the country. Instead, Missouri will now feature one of the most talented backfields in the nation after both Hardy and Roberts returned one season removed from 2,300 combined rushing yards.
It's no surprise really that schools were interested in Hardy, but it's interesting to hear that he was even getting contacted without ever entering the portal. It's getting harder and harder to develop homegrown talent, but Hardy is one of the few rare breeds to stay around and create a legacy.