While there's been plenty of Mizzou players to hit the transfer portal already, and likely with several more on the way, Tiger fans can rest easy after hearing their star player open up about his future.
All-American running back Ahmad Hardy met with the media on Tuesday, and he didn't mince words when asked if other teams had already reached out about trying to lure him away from Missouri.
"Not yet. When I was in the portal they were," Hardy said. "But I think they know I'm a Tiger, so they ain't hit me up."
Hardy seemingly confirms his return to Mizzou after monster season
Hardy, after rushing for over 1,500 yards this year, would have had no shortage of teams looking to poach his talents had he decided to explore that avanue. Instead, it appears he's ready to run it back again in 2026 with the Missouri Tigers.
While fans can breathe a sigh of relief regarding the team's best player, they might need to hold it again for running back Jamal Roberts. Roberts, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry as the backup, may have a lot of attention from other programs himself. Coach Eli Drinkwitz seemed to imply that they'd need a whole lot more in NIL to get the talented rusher to stick around.
"If anybody in St. Louis has enough third party money to keep Jamal Roberts around, we'd love to talk to you about it," said Drinkwitz. "Because he's a heck of a player, we'd love nothing more than to have him be a Tiger for his career."
Losing Roberts would be a tough blow, but as long as Hardy remains healthy, the Tiger offense should have no trouble generating points. Still, Drinkwitz also mentioned he expected a few more transfers after the bowl game, so the team isn't out of the woods yet.